Rehman Sobhan

Professor Rehman Sobhan is a legendary economist, a renowned public intellectual, and a tireless champion of freedom of thought. Throughout his remarkable career, he has challenged the status quo, questioned conventional wisdom, and inspired generations of thinkers with his fearless pursuit of truth and justice.

Born in Calcutta in 1935, Sobhan played a significant role in Bangladesh's journey towards independence. In the early 1960s, he gained a strong reputation for his research and newspaper writings on the economic disparity between East and West Pakistan, which popularised the idea of "two economies" and provided an intellectual backbone to Bangladesh's struggle for self-determination.

With the support of Kamal Hossain and Hameeda Hossain, Rehman Sobhan founded a weekly magazine named Forum in 1969. This publication provided a platform for the Bangalee people to express their national aspirations, challenge the idea of a militaristic and theocratic state, and voice the concerns of the working class and rural population.

During Bangladesh's Liberation War, Sobhan served as a roving ambassador for the Provisional Government, tirelessly seeking global support and assistance.

After independence, Sobhan was a core member of the Planning Commission and made invaluable contributions to the country's post-war reconstruction efforts.

In his 20-year-long teaching career at Dhaka University's economics department, Professor Sobhan inspired countless future economists of Bangladesh. With a wealth of books, research monographs, and articles to his name, Sobhan is an accomplished writer and a captivating commentator.

Some of his seminal works include "The Crisis of External Dependence", "Rethinking the Role of the State in Development: Asian Perspectives" and "Challenging the Injustice of Poverty: Agendas for Inclusive Development in South Asia". His two-volume autobiographical work "Untranquil Recollections" provides a captivating account of his early intellectual journey, rising disparity between the two wings of the then Pakistan that led to the birth of Bangladesh and nation building in post-liberation Bangladesh.

Rehman Sobhan is also the proud founder and Chairman of Bangladesh's foremost think tank, the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).

Professor Rehman Sobhan is a towering figure whose life and works have made him an inspiration to those who value intellectual curiosity, independent thought, and quest for freedom. The Daily Star proudly pays tribute to him, recognising his immense contributions as an intellectual giant and a guiding conscience of the nation.