Running a country is not easy at the best of times, let alone after nine months of a brutal war. Ruined infrastructure, tenuous food supply, and an urgent need to unite differing political ideologies to swiftly make policy decisions were some of the challenges for a fledgling Bangladesh, Prof Rehman Sobhan recalls.
“Untranquil Recollections: Political Economy of Nation Building in post-liberation Bangladesh,” the second part of the memoir of the noted economist, sheds light on political economy and policymaking in post-liberation War Bangladesh. Prof Sobhan, with his unique storytelling style, narrates his involvement in addressing the problem of reconstruction while coping with political challenges as a member of the Planning Commission in the immediate aftermath of the war.
“I tried to make my memoir about the history of Bangladesh in the post-liberation time, rather than my personal story. I would call my memoir an imperfect substitute for the history of that time,” said Prof Sobhan.
“Back then, no one had any experience on how to run a government. We did not have a country, an administration or functioning economy. That was the challenge we faced at that time in building a nation,” said Sobhan, adding that right after the Liberation War ended, it was the infrastructure that lay destroyed. Besides, Bangladesh was on the verge of famine and as such making and implementing policies was not easy in a war-torn nation.
He was speaking at the launch of the memoir at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) office yesterday. The launch event was jointly organised by CPD and The University Press Limited (UPL).
Sobhan mentioned that he was already writing about the political economy back then as a young economist and learned a lot from Father of the Nation Bangbandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
“I was learning from the master [Bangabandhu] who knew who would go against and in favour of a policy,” he said.
“Policy making is the easiest part, but implementation is the challenge. When people talk about policy failure and success, they talk about its implementation,” he added.
Prof Rounaq Jahan, Distinguished Fellow of Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), in her remarks said there had not been much research on the first three years following the Liberation War and Rehman Sobhan’s memoir would help readers gain an understanding of the times.
Dr Kamal Hossain, who served in Bangabandhu’s government as law minister and foreign minister, said an important insight reflected in the book was that during the tenure of a Planning Commission, there was no substitute for the executive part in the implementation policies.
“Rehman Sobhan provides an insider's view of the interaction between professionals like himself and the bureaucracy. He has been able to draw upon his professional expertise as an economist, which is a unique advantage,” he said.
M Syeduzzaman former finance minister, planning secretary, and member of the CPD Board of Trustees, said Sobhan’s efforts in dealing with social and economic issues in the new state of Bangladesh were exquisitely reflected in his book. He noted that the memoir was a source of inspiration and knowledge for future generations.
Mahfuz Anam, editor of the Daily Star, said the memoir narrated the story of just three years and 10 months of the writer’s life, and this showed the monumental amount of work he did for Bangladesh.
Mahrukh Mohiuddin, managing director of The University Press Limited (UPL), said the appeal of Rehman Sobhan’s storytelling would have readers hooked, even those who were born after the 1970s.
She said the publication house had plans to translate the book into Bangla in future.
Professor Abdul Bayes, former vice chancellor and professor at the department of economics of Jahangirnagar University, stated that the fluid narrative would make the book an easy dive into history for young readers.
Distinguished Fellow of CPD Prof Mustafizur Rahman said the memoir would help us understand the importance of policy engagement on the part of bureaucrats, professionals and politicians, because otherwise there would not be any ownership of policies.
Dr Ahrar Ahmad, director general of Gyantapas Abdur Razzaq Bidyapeeth, said the book should not be just read, it should be studied.
Professor Habibul Haque Khondker of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at Zayed University said the book was unique because of the personal insight into history that it provides.
Dr Meghna Guhathakurta, executive director of Research Initiatives, Bangladesh (RIB), said: “It is difficult to skip any page from this memoir and this book should be read in study groups at universities.”