Akbar Ali Khan given guard of honour after funeral prayers

Eminent economist, freedom fighter, and former caretaker government advisor Dr Akbar Ali Khan was given a guard of honor after his Janaza (funeral prayers) at Azad Mosque in Gulshan on Friday (9 September).

Planning Minister MA Mannan, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Gonoshasthaya Kendra (GK) Founder and Trustee Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, among others, participated in the funeral.

After the funeral, many paid their last respects to Dr Akbar Ali Khan.

He will be buried at the Martyred Intellectual Cemetery in Mirpur this afternoon.

Dr Akbar Ali Khan, has passed away while undergoing treatment in Dhaka's Evercare Hospital around 10pm on Thursday (8 September). 

The body of Akbar Ali Khan was taken to his residence in Gulshan this morning. Relatives and dignitaries paid their respects to him there.

Dr Akbar Ali Khan was born in 1944 at Nabinagar in Brahamanbaria district.

He completed his BA and MA in History from Dhaka University. He then went on to do Masters and PhD in Economics from Queens University in Canada. He joined the Civil Service of Pakistan (CSP) in 1967.

In 1972, he actively participated in the liberation war and was sentenced to fourteen years of rigorous imprisonment in absentia by a military court of the occupation forces. 

The economist taught in various universities of the country. He was an associate professor in Jahangirnagar University.

Dr Akbar Ali joined the provisional Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh as the deputy secretary of the Ministry of Defense.

He served with distinction in various Ministries including Cabinet, Finance Education, Irrigation and Environment Divisions.  He worked in the Ministry of Finance for more than sixteen years at levels of joint secretary and above.

Dr Akbar was the chairman National Board of Revenue and secretary of the Internal Resource Division for nearly three years. 

He served as Finance Secretary for more than five and half years covering three consecutive governments. 

In 2001, he was appointed cabinet secretary and retired from that position in 2002. 

He was advisor in charge of the Ministries of Finance, Planning, Commerce, Post, Telegraph and Telephones in the Caretaker Government in 2006 and resigned in protest against the failure of the chief advisor in ensuring a free, fair and impartial election.  He also served as the first chairman of the Regulatory Reforms Commission during 2007-2009.