Desk Report:
M. Munir-uz-Zaman, former CSP of 1958 batch and former Secretary and Ambassador to the Government of Bangladesh, passed away at his residence on Thursday (May 28, 2026) at 2:00 PM due to old age complications.
Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun. He was 90 years old at the time of his death.
In his sad demise, the country lost a patriot, a talented top bureaucrat, diplomat and a worthy son of the soil. The country’s bureaucracy will always remember his lifelong contribution. He was an alumnus of Dhaka University, Cambridge University in the UK and Williams College in the US. He was known for his uncompromising contribution in putting national interest above all else. He started his illustrious career in the then elite civil service of Pakistan as a proud Bengali of 1958 batch.
In pre-independence Bangladesh, he served as SDO of Kishoreganj, ADC of Comilla, DC of Bogra, Deputy Secretary of the Foreign Finance Department of the Government of Pakistan, Chairman of EPSCIC, and in post-independence Bangladesh, he rose to the top and served as Secretary in the Ministry of Power, Water, Energy and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Ministry of Relief and Disaster Management, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Foreign Resources Division (now Economic Relations Division of the Ministry of Finance) and other important national offices. After retirement, he worked as a Senior Consultant in the World Bank Group.
Later, he served as the Chief Advisor to the White Paper Cell of former Prime Minister Late Begum Khaleda Zia and finally as the Ambassador of Bangladesh to the Philippines before retiring completely. He was the eldest son of the late M. Tofazzal Hossain, a former MLA of the Legislative Assembly of British Bengal, and a prominent Kolkata-educated landlord of Chaugacha, Jessore. He is survived by his wife, two sons, five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
His first funeral prayer will be held on Friday (May 29, 2026) after Jumma at Gulshan Azad Mosque.
