Staff Reporter :
Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali has been tasked with the ministry of finance for the newly formed cabinet of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the 12th parliament.
Earlier, he served as the Foreign Minister from 2013 to 2019 and Disaster Management and Relief Minister from 2012 to 2013.
Before the distribution of the portfolio, Mahmood Ali who was elected from Dinajpur-4 took oath on Thursday as a member of the newly formed cabinet.
In his long distinguished diplomatic career, he served in various capacities at the Headquarters (Dhaka) and at Bangladesh Missions abroad which include New York (Vice-Consul, Acting Consul General), New Delhi (First Secretary, Counsellor and Deputy High Commissioner) and Beijing (Deputy Chief of Mission with the rank of an Ambassador).
Ali served as the Bangladesh Ambassador to Bhutan (1986-1990), Germany (1992-1995) with concurrent accreditation to Austria, Czech Republic and Slovak Republic, Nepal (February to October 1996), and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (1996-2001) with concurrent accreditation to Ireland.
In fact, Ali was the first Ambassador of Bangladesh to Ireland with residence in London.
At the Headquarters, Ali served as a Director-General for various Wings which include Administration; International Organizations; United Nations and Economic Affairs; Policy Planning; South Asia and Human Rights.
As Additional Foreign Secretary (Bilateral), he negotiated and signed the Tin Bigha Corridor Implementation Agreement with India (1992).
Ali also negotiated the Burmese Refugees Repatriation Agreement with Myanmar in 1992.
Ali is a valiant freedom fighter and made enormous contribution in the diplomatic front of the war of liberation of Bangladesh in 1971.
He worked for Bangladesh’s independence in the U.S. and at the United Nations.
Immediately after arriving in New York in 1968, he mobilised the Bangalee community in the United States.
He joined the Bangladesh Liberation Movement in April, 1971 and was appointed as the Representative of the Provisional Government of Bangladesh at Mujibnagar in United States in May, 1971.
