Anisur Rahman

Anisur Rahman (1933 – 5 January 2025) was a Bangladeshi economist and intellectual, known for his significant contributions to the Bangladeshi independence movement. Along with Dr. Sadeque, Nurul Islam, Habibur Rahman, and Akhlaqur Rahman, Rahman was involved in developing the two-economy theory, which helped in providing a scientific understanding of the economic disparities between West Pakistan (Pakistan since 1971) and East Pakistan (Bangladesh since 1971). This understanding played a crucial role in fomenting nationalist aspirations of the people of Bangladesh and the development of the 6-Point Programme presented by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to the West Pakistan government during the struggle for independence.

In 1971, Rahman and his family narrowly escaped being killed by the Pakistani army during the 1971 Dhaka University massacre. He fled to India with the help of friends and sought refuge with Amartya Sen before lobbying for the Bangladesh cause in America,

Rahman served as a member of the Bangladesh Planning Commission, where he proposed and advocated for austerity measures to help the country recover from the War of Liberation, but his frustrations grew as the political leadership failed to respond to his suggestions. He concluded that socialism was not possible with such leadership and left the commission.

He then went to serve as the Chairman of the Economics Department at the University of Dhaka and Senior Research Officer for United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva. He joined the International Labour Office (ILO) where he directed a program on the participation of the rural poor in development until his retirement in 1990. Rahman died in Dhaka on 5 January 2025, at the age of 91.

Early life and education Anisur Rahman was born in 1933 to Anwara Begum. Her father was Md. Hafizur Rahman, who held several ministry posts in East Pakistan. He attended St. Gregory's High School where he was classmates with Amartya Sen. He went on to study economics at the University of Dhaka, earning his BA Honours in 1955 and MA in 1956. Rahman began his career in academia, teaching at the University of Dhaka from 1957 to 1959. He left to further his education at Harvard University in the United States, where he received his PhD in economics in 1962.

Pre-independence contributions Rahman went back to teaching at the University of Dhaka from 1962 to 1965. During this period, he was part of the Economics Department and known for his anti-establishment views. The lines in the campus was sharply drawn by those who were pro-establishment and anti-establishment. During this time, the Ayub regime and its supporters appeared invincible, with most opposition leaders, including Sheikh Mujib, imprisoned. This made it difficult for serious scholarship and independent thinking to thrive at Dhaka University. Due to the pro-establishment Vice Chancellor's hostility towards Rahman, he was forced to resign when he was denied leave. Subsequently, he went to the East–West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. During this time, Air Marshal Nur Khan, the deputy chief martial law administrator in the post-Ayub Khan era, sought out Anisur Rahman for guidance on educational reform in Pakistan.

Operation Searchlight and Liberation War of Bangladesh

On the night of 25 March, Rahman and his family were almost killed by the Pakistani army, who murdered his colleagues. By placing a lock on the outside of his door, Rahman gave the impression that he was not present, which saved his life. To avoid being seen by the army, he and his family crawled on their hands and knees for around 48 hours. During this time, they heard the sounds of their colleagues, Professor Jyotirmoy Guhathakurta and Muniruzzaman, being dragged out of their flats and shot.

Rahman's frustrations grew, and he addressed Sheikh Mujibur Rahman directly, telling him what qualities of leadership he lacked. He was perhaps among a very few people in Bangladesh in 1972 to address Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, as "Sheikh Shaheb."

Later career In 1974, Rahman went back to Dhaka University to serve as the Chairman of the Economics Department at the university. That same year, the Bangladesh famine occurred. It is considered to be one of the worst in the 20th century. 70 Bengali economists, writers and lawyers, headed by Rahman issued a statement saying that the recent famine was man-made and "the direct result of political and economic laissez-faire by a class of people who were given to shameless plunder, exploitation, terrorization, flattery, fraudulence and misrule." The statement said the Government "is clearly dominated by and is representative of" smugglers and profiteers.

He left his post at Dhaka University and became a Senior Research Officer for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva from 1975 to 1976.

Aside from his work in economics and development, Rahman had a passion for music. He is known for his distinctive style of singing Tagore's songs and has written about Tagore singing. He has given workshops and lectures on developing one's singing voice following modern vocal science in Bangladesh, Kolkata, and Santiniketan. In recognition of his contribution to Tagore's music and literature, he was awarded the biennial "Rabindra Purashkar" (Rabindra prize) by the Rabindra Parishad of Patna, Bihar, India, in May 2004.