Former finance and foreign minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali in Sheikh Hasina's cabinet, who served as the chief foreign representative of the Mujibnagar government in 1971, has died at the age of 82.BIRDEM Hospital in Dhaka confirmed that Mahmood died on Thursday at 3:55pm while undergoing treatment.The 82-year-old had been admitted to the hospital's ICU for the past two weeks with kidney complications.Awami League's Relief and Social Welfare Secretary Aminul Islam Amin told bdnews24.com, "He died on Thursday evening at the BIRDEM Hospital. His funeral prayer will be held at 8am on Friday in front of his residence in Dhanmondi, followed by burial at Banani Graveyard. "A career foreign service officer, Ali served as high commissioner to the UK before his retirement in 2001. He had served as ambassador to Germany and Bhutan. He was additional foreign secretary for bilateral affairs, a role that gave him the opportunity to serve prime minister Khaleda Zia on her major trips abroad, including India and Pakistan.As ambassador to Bhutan, he befriended King Jigme Singye Wangchuk and took Dhaka-Thimpu relations to new heights.

Source: bd News24 November 07, 2025 17:38 UTC