Saifur's first death anniversary today

Today is the first death anniversary of M Saifur Rahman, the country's longest serving Finance Minister who died in a road accident last year.

Before the accidental death in Brahmanbaria District on his way back to Dhaka from his home district of Moulvibazar, Saifur Rahman went to Sylhet for visiting the shrines of Hazrat Shah Jalal and Shah Paran and his village home of Moulvibazar.

Saifur Rahman, son of Abdul Basit, was born on October 6 in 1932 in the village of Baharmardan of Moulvibazar Sadar Upazila. He passed Matriculation Examination from Moulvibazar Govt High School in 1949 and Intermediate from Sylhet MC College in 1951. He graduated from Dhaka University with a B.Com (Hons) in 1953. Later in 1954 he went to London and studied for qualifying as Chartered Accountant.

He took part in the Language Movement in 1952 when he was the Vice President (VP) of Muslim Hall of Dhaka University.

Saifur Rahman joined the Jatiyatabadi Ganatantrik Dal in 1977 founded by late President Ziaur Rahman, which later came to be known as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in 1978.

He was a popular leader of the party and was best known of being the longest serving Finance Minister. He delivered 12 national budgets in three terms. He was Trade & Commerce Minister for first three years of his Ministerial life and thereafter Finance and Planning Minister for 12 years.

Bangladesh Youth Forum, a social organisation, called upon the countrymen to hold special prayer in the mosques of the country praying salvation of departed soul of Saifur Rahman.

In a joint statement, President of the Forum Mohammad Saidur Rahman and its General Secretary Mahbubul Haque Chowdhury made the call and they recalled the contributions of Saifur Rahman in the politics and economy of the country.
Source : Daily Ittefaq