Akbar Ali Khan, voice of conscience, laid to rest

Former advisor of the caretaker government and economist Dr Akbar Ali Khan was laid to rest at the city's Martyred Intellectual Graveyard in Mirpur on Friday afternoon, reports UNB.

His namaz-e-janaza was held at Azad Mosque in Gulshan after Jumma prayer. After the Janaza, he was given a guard of honour by the district administration on the mosque premises.

Planning Minister MA Mannan, Cabinet Secretary Khandkar Anwarul Islam, Gonoshasthaya Kendra (GK) Founder and Trustee Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury and former NBR Chairman Badiur Rahman took part in his janaza among others.

Earlier in the day, the body of Akbar Ali Khan was taken to his residence in Gulshan where his relatives, prominent personalities and a cross section of people paid their last respect.

Akbar Ali passed away in Dhaka on Thursday night following a prolonged illness. He was 78.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman and different organisations including Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) and Bangladesh Economic Association expressed shock and deep sorrow at his death.

Akbar Ali Khan was born in 1944 at Nabinagar in the Brahmanbaria district. He studied history at Dhaka University and secured first place in first class in both BA and MA exams. He studied economics at Queen's University Canada and obtained MA and PhD in economics.

He joined the Civil Service of Pakistan (CSP) in 1967.

He actively participated in the Liberation War and was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment in absentia by a military court of the occupation forces. He joined the provisional government of Bangladesh as deputy secretary, Ministry of Defense.

Akbar Ali served with distinction in various ministries. He worked at the Ministry of Finance for more than 16 years at levels of joint secretary and above. He was chairman of the NBR and secretary of the Internal Resource Division for nearly three years.

Akbar Ali served as finance secretary for more than five and half years covering three consecutive governments.