Prof Anisur Rahman, economist and member of the country's first Planning Commission formed after independence, died at a hospital in the capital yesterday at the age of 91.

He passed away at around 1:15pm while undergoing treatment for pneumonia at United Hospital, said MM Akash, a former professor of economics at Dhaka University.

"He was our role model," said Prof Akash, a student of Prof Anisur. "He used to tell us that Bangladesh's agriculture is your textbook and farmers are your teachers."

Born in 1933, Prof Anisur studied economics at Dhaka University and Harvard University in the US.

He is known for his significant contribution to Bangladesh's liberation. He joined the Planning Commission as a member after the 1971 Liberation War.

In 1977, he joined the International Labour Office in Geneva, the permanent secretariat of the UN's International Labour Organisation. He retired from the organisation in 1990.

Debapriya Bhattacharya, a distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue, said he very closely worked with Prof Anisur after his return from Geneva.

Prof Anisur worked tirelessly and advocated for the structural transformation of Bangladesh's economy, Debapriya said. "He was unparalleled in his patriotism and love for the people."

Prof Anisur was a strong advocate for self-development and participatory action research. He played an instrumental role in the introduction and promotion of participatory action research in Bangladesh through Research Initiatives-Bangladesh, a research-funding agency. He was one of the honorary founding members of its board of directors, according to Pathak Shamabesh, a publishing house.

He also pursued his passion for music and was honoured with the Rabindra Puraskar in 2004 for his contribution to Rabindranath Tagore's music and literature.

Prof Akash said Prof Anisur's relatives stay abroad and are expected to come to Dhaka.

His body will be kept at the mortuary of BIRDEM General Hospital in Dhaka. It will be brought to the Central Shaheed Minar at 11:30am tomorrow so that people from all walks of life can pay their tributes.

His namaz-e-janaza will be held at Segunbagicha Mosque after Zohr prayers on the same day.

He will be laid to rest in Netrokona.