Mintoo was born in a village named Aleyarpur in Feni District. He studied science at Feni Government Pilot High School in Feni where he earned his Secondary School Certificate (SSC) in 1964. He graduated from Comilla Victoria College in 1966 with a Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC). In 1968, he obtained a diploma in nautical science from Mercantile Marine Academy in Chittagong, then known as Pakistan Marine Academy. He moved to the United States to pursue his studies and in 1973 graduated with a BSc in marine transportation science from the State University of New York Maritime College, following it up with a master's degree in transportation management and advance chartering problems and arbitration.^[2]

Mintoo has been Director of National Bank Limited and General Insurance, the largest private general insurance company in the Bangladesh. He is chairman of the marketing and sole distribution of Johnson & Johnson Products in Bangladesh.^[2]

Within the Bangladeshi manufacturing sector, Mintoo has been director of the Chittagong Cement Clinker Grinding Co. Ltd. (Heidelberg Cement) and an advisor to Dulamia Cotton Spinning Mills Ltd. He is also active in agricultural-based industries, having served as Chairman of OP and Hybrid Vegetable seeds production, processing and research and has also been active in the following organisations:^[2]

• Bangladesh India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BICCI) Chairman
• Bangladesh Association of Banks (BAB) Member, Executive Committee
• Bangladesh Seed Merchants Association Adviser
• Bangladesh Seed Dealers Association Chief Adviser
• Bangladesh Employer's Federation President (1997–1999)
• Bangladesh Ocean Going Ship Owners Association chairman (1988–2000)
• Bangladesh Marine Fisheries Association EC Member (1992–1995)
• Bangladesh Textile Mills Association EC Member (1995–1996)
• Islamic Ship Owners Association (Jeddah) EC Member (1988–2000)
• Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BGMEA) Member, Council of Adviser

He has also been active in hotel groups in Bangladesh and has been a member of the Board of Governors, Academy for Planning and Development, Ministry of Planning, the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and the Bangladesh Olympic Association.^[2] He is a member of the National Bank Foundation and founded several colleges in Bangladesh including Iqbal Memorial College, Bodarernessa High School and Alhaj Safiullah High School.^[2] He is also a member of the Board of Governors, at Bangladesh Open University (BOU) and at the Bangladesh Institute of Management.^[2]

He was elected president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry in 2003.^[3]

• "Bangladesh Business Leaders for Shorter Terms". Xinhua News Agency. 21 March 1999.
• "Bangladeshi ex-premier, five others charged over South Korean frigate deal". The Independent. Dhaka. UNB. 4 August 2003.
• "FBCCI chief talks to The Independent". The Independent. Dhaka. 29 December 2004.
• "Frigate torpedoed by mean politics". The Daily Star. 3 June 2007.
• "Delwar stays secy general". The Daily Star. 2 January 2010.
• Ara, Ferdous (1 April 2015). "Mintoo wealthiest, Hajjaj at bottom". New Age. Dhaka.
• "Mintoo's Mistake Mysterious". The New Nation. 3 April 2015.
• "SC turns down Mintoo's review petition". The New Nation. 7 April 2015.
• "SC asks Mintoo, Anwar, Aman to surrender". The Independent. Dhaka. 28 July 2015.
• "MK Anwar gets bail, Aman lands in jail". The Independent. Dhaka. UNB. 2 August 2015.
• "Mintoo gets bail in violence case". Daily Sun. Dhaka. 9 August 2015.
• Azad, Rafiqul Islam (16 January 2016). "BNP eyes reshuffle in top party body". The Independent. Dhaka.