Munavvar was born in the island of Meedhoo,[1] his education qualifications include; Master of Laws with Honours (LL.M.

He was arrested and jailed on 13 August 2004, allegedly for participating in the pro democracy uprising, also known as Black Friday.

On 2 June 2007 Dr. Munavvar was elected as the president of MDP, then the largest opposition party in the Maldives.

In 2023, he announced that he was planning on running as Independent in the 2023 Maldivian presidential election, but later decided not to contest.

[1] In 2024, he was appointed by the Maldivian government to review the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea's decision that resulted in the loss of a portion of the Exclusive economic zone of Maldives.