Rehman Sobhan
Encyclopedia
Rehman Sobhan is a prominent Bangladeshi economist and civil society leader. He played a leading role in the Bengali nationalist movement in the 1960s, including authoring the Two Economies Theory and drafting the Six point demands
of Bengali nationalists. He also served in the first Planning Commission in Bangladesh and was a close associate of Bangladesh's founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
.
Presently, Rehman Sobhan heads the Centre for Policy Dialogue
(CPD), Bangladesh's leading public policy think-tank that is considered to be one of the top thirty non-governmental research organizations in the world.
at the University of Dhaka
. After liberation of Bangladesh in 1971, Rehman Sobhan was made a member of the Planning Commission. He had to quit when he, along with others, fell from the grace of Sheikh Mujib in 1975. Later he worked as the Director General of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies. After retirement he set up Centre for Policy Dialogue
, the most important private sector research institute and think-tank of Bangladesh since 1993 and worked as its Executive Chairman for a long time.
. Various writings of this young Cambridge trained economist on regional disparity between West Pakistan
(Pakistan since 1971) and East Pakistan
(Bangladesh since 1971) played a successful role in fomenting nationalist aspirations of the people of Bangladesh. During the liberation war for Bangladesh from 26 March to 16 December 1971), he was a roving ambassador of Bangladesh and lobbied for Bangladesh in the United States
.
. Currently he is the chairman of CPD. CPD contributes on the important policy issues and arranges open public discussions. Mainly its for promoting an effective governance. He has authored over two dozens books and numerous articles both in professional journals as well as popular media. He was also made an advisor of the Caretaker Government in Bangladesh in 1990-91.
, Manmohan Singh
, and Mahbub ul Haq
. Sobhan continues to play an active role in the civil society movement in South Asia. He is a leading public intellectual in Bangladesh.
who was a Barrister
and a human rights activist, who died in 2003. He is currently married to Dr. Rownaq Jahan, a political scientist at Columbia University
Rehman Sobhan's father Khondker Fazle Sobhan served as Pakistan's ambassador to Kenya
. Rehman Sobhan's younger brother, Farooq Sobhan, an eminent diplomat
is the President of Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, a leading think tank
of the country.
Six point movement
The 6 Point Movement was a Bengali nationalist movement in East Pakistan spearheaded by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which eventually led to the liberation of Bangladesh. The movement's main agenda was to realize the six demands put forward by a coalition of Bengali nationalist political parties in 1966,...
of Bengali nationalists. He also served in the first Planning Commission in Bangladesh and was a close associate of Bangladesh's founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a Bengali nationalist politician and the founder of Bangladesh. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its Prime Minister. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its...
.
Presently, Rehman Sobhan heads the Centre for Policy Dialogue
Centre for Policy Dialogue
The Centre for Policy Dialogue is a non-governmental think-tank of Bangladesh, and has been identified as one of the leading think-tanks of the world by the think tank survey conducted by the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia, USA....
(CPD), Bangladesh's leading public policy think-tank that is considered to be one of the top thirty non-governmental research organizations in the world.
Education and career
Rehman Sobhan attended St. Paul's School, Darjeeling in India, he went on to Cambridge University to study in economics for a doctoral degree but returned without finishing the course requirement. He taught EconomicsEconomics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
at the University of Dhaka
University of Dhaka
The University of Dhaka is the oldest university in Bangladesh. It is a multi-disciplinary research university and is among the top universities in the region. Established on July 21, 1921, as per the Government of India Act, 1920, it was modelled on the Universities in England and soon gained...
. After liberation of Bangladesh in 1971, Rehman Sobhan was made a member of the Planning Commission. He had to quit when he, along with others, fell from the grace of Sheikh Mujib in 1975. Later he worked as the Director General of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies. After retirement he set up Centre for Policy Dialogue
Centre for Policy Dialogue
The Centre for Policy Dialogue is a non-governmental think-tank of Bangladesh, and has been identified as one of the leading think-tanks of the world by the think tank survey conducted by the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia, USA....
, the most important private sector research institute and think-tank of Bangladesh since 1993 and worked as its Executive Chairman for a long time.
Pre-independence Contributions
In 1960s, Professor Sobhan along with other nationalist economists contributed to the drafting of six-points programme that became the basis for the struggle for autonomy in the then East PakistanEast Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
. Various writings of this young Cambridge trained economist on regional disparity between West Pakistan
West Pakistan
West Pakistan , common name West-Pakistan , in the period between its establishment on 22 November 1955 to disintegration on December 16, 1971. This period, during which, Pakistan was divided, ended when East-Pakistan was disintegrated and succeeded to become which is now what is known as Bangladesh...
(Pakistan since 1971) and East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
(Bangladesh since 1971) played a successful role in fomenting nationalist aspirations of the people of Bangladesh. During the liberation war for Bangladesh from 26 March to 16 December 1971), he was a roving ambassador of Bangladesh and lobbied for Bangladesh in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Post-independence activities
After the independence of Bangladesh he was appointed a member of the Planning Commission in 1972. He left the country after he was asked to quit. Upon his return to Bangladesh in 1982, he continued to be active in economic research and policy debates first with Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) and later he founded the Centre for Policy Dialogue, a leading think-tank in South AsiaSouth Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
. Currently he is the chairman of CPD. CPD contributes on the important policy issues and arranges open public discussions. Mainly its for promoting an effective governance. He has authored over two dozens books and numerous articles both in professional journals as well as popular media. He was also made an advisor of the Caretaker Government in Bangladesh in 1990-91.
Trivia
Professor Sobhan's cohorts at Cambridge included prominent economists of the Indian subcontinent such as Amartya SenAmartya Sen
Amartya Sen, CH is an Indian economist who was awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to welfare economics and social choice theory, and for his interest in the problems of society's poorest members...
, Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
, and Mahbub ul Haq
Mahbub ul Haq
Mahbub ul Haq was an Pakistani economist who is known to be the pioneer of Human development theory and the founder of the Human Development Report...
. Sobhan continues to play an active role in the civil society movement in South Asia. He is a leading public intellectual in Bangladesh.
Family
He was married to Salma SobhanSalma Sobhan
Salma Sobhan , was a prominent female Bangladeshi barrister, human rights activist and academic.-Family and education:...
who was a Barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and a human rights activist, who died in 2003. He is currently married to Dr. Rownaq Jahan, a political scientist at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
Rehman Sobhan's father Khondker Fazle Sobhan served as Pakistan's ambassador to Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. Rehman Sobhan's younger brother, Farooq Sobhan, an eminent diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
is the President of Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, a leading think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
of the country.
Awards
Rehman Sobhan was awarded the Indepence Award, the top-most state award of Bangladesh in 2008. The citation said that the award was being given in recognition of his glorious and excellent contribution to research and training.Publications
- Basic Democracies, Works Programme and Rural Development in East Pakistan (1968),
- Public Enterprise in an Intermediate Regime: A Study in the Political Economy of Bangladesh (1980).
- The Crisis of External Dependence: The Political Economy of Foreign Aid to Bangladesh (1982),
- Public Enterprise and the Nature of the State (1983),
- Rural Poverty and Agrarian Reform in the Philippines (1983),
- From Aid Dependence to Self-Reliance: Development Options for Bangladesh (1990),
- Debt Default and the Crisis of State Sponsored Entrepreneurship in Bangladesh (1991),
- Public Allocative Strategies, Rural Development and Poverty Alleviation : A Global Perspective (1991),
- Planning and Public Action for Asian Women (1992),
- Rethinking the Role of the State in Development : Asian Perspectives (1993),
- Bangladesh : Problems of Governance (1993),
- Agrarian Reform and Social Transformation (1993),
- Aid Dependence and Donor Policy: The Case of Tanzania (1996),
- Towards a Theory of Governance and Development: Learning from East Asia (1998),
- Team leader and Editor of the annual Independent Review of Bangladesh's Development: Experiences with Economic Reform (1995),
- Growth or Stagnation? A Review of Bangladesh's Development (1996),
- Crisis in Governance:Review of Bangladesh's Development (1997),
- Trends in the Post-Flood Economy:Review of Bangladesh's Development (2000).