Mr. Shah Abdul Hannan, Former Secretary of the Government of Bangladesh and pioneer of Islamic Banking in the country, died of old age complications at Ibn Sina Hospital on June 2.
Born in 1939 in the city of Mymensingh, Bangladesh, Mr. Abdul Hannan did his Masters in Political Science from Dhaka University in 1961 and joined Pakistan Superior Service in 1963. He held many key posts and retired as Secretary of Government of Bangladesh in 1998. At different times he held charges of Social Welfare Ministry, Banking Division and Internal Resource Division of the Government of Bangladesh. He was Chairman National Board of Revenue and Chairman Centre for Strategic and Peace Studies and Director General, Bureau of Anti-Corruption.
While in civil service, he was instrumental in establishing the first Islamic Bank in Bangladesh. Banking Act was amended to facilitate Islamic banking and two more Islamic banks were allowed to function when he was Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank. “He spearheaded Islamic Banking in Bangladesh. It has occupied a prominent position in about 30% of the Banking and is one of the factors of rapid growth of GDP in that country,” said Mr. H Abdur Raqeeb, General Secretary Indian Centre for Islamic Finance-ICIF, New Delhi.
Mr. Abdul Hannan was Chairman of Islamic Economic Research Bureau, Director of the Islamic Bank Bangladesh Ltd. and Adviser to Bangladesh Institute of Islamic Thought (BIIT). He was also Chairman of Diganta Media Corporation and Ibn Sina Trust. He was active in Islamic activities right from his student days. He undertook Arabic courses in Islamic Foundation, Dhaka during 1972-74. He was an ardent student of Islamic Sciences and studied in particular tafsir, hadith commentary, Usul-al-Fiqh, Islamic economics and banking.
He taught Islamic ethics in Asian University of Bangladesh. He also taught Islamic political thought in the course on comparative political system at the same university. He was also involved in planning Islamic University Chittagong and member of the Advisory Committee there. He was Chairman, Manarat International University Trust, and member of Darul Ihsan Trust which founded Darul Ihsan University. He was the Founder Vice Chancellor of Darul Ihsan University and North South University. He was the Chief of Dhaka Campus of Islamic University, Chittagong.
He had several books on Economics, Islamic Law, International Relations and other Islamic issues. He worked with a group of Islamic scholars to produce two volumes of Economics in Al-Quran in Bengali. He also worked with a group of Islamic scholars to produce two big volumes on Codified Islamic Law in Bengali. He also used to write regular column in newspapers and magazines, including Radiance Viewsweekly. He taught Usul-al-Fiqh through internet with the help and assistance of Witness-Pioneer Islamic Organisation.
His first funeral prayer was held at Dhanmondi Eidgah Mosque and second prayer at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque before he was buried at Shajahanpur. He is survived by his two children, three brothers and a host of well-wishers.
We at Radiance have lost a well-meaning well-wisher.