Noted agricultural and development economist Dr Mahabub Hossain has died at a hospital in the USA early Monday. He was 71.
A distinguished professor and chairperson at Economics and Social Science Department of BRAC University, Dr Mahabub breathed his last at the operation table of the Cleveland Hospital in New York at 2:45am (Bangladesh time), reports BSS.
Read More: The tale of a prominent economist
Dr Mahabub, who was suffering from heart disease for last two years, went to the USA on December 15 for treatment.
He left behind his wife, two daughters and a son and host of relatives and well wishers to mourn his death.
BRAC founder and Chairperson Sir Fazle Hasan Abed has expressed deep shock at the demise of Dr Mahabub Hossain.
In a condolence message, he said very few people globally had the depth of understanding of development issues like Dr Mahabub Hossain.
"His life was a story of success against all odds and during his time at BRAC, he had a persistent focus on creating opportunities for the poor," Sir Abed said.
He said Dr Mahabub's research over many decades on proliferation of innovation in agriculture and livelihood improvement of marginalised farmers has been path breaking.
"We, his BRAC family, mourn today [Monday] this irreparable loss with his friends, family and many people he touched during his life dedicated to public service," he said.
Dr Mahabub served as the head of social science division of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), executive director of BRAC, and director general of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).
An inspiring figure, he will be forever remembered for his brilliance in articulation of macroeconomic analysis, his path breaking research works, his leadership in agricultural innovation and above all his deep empathy for the marginalised people.
After completing his Masters in Economics from Dhaka University, Dr Mahabub obtained his PhD from the Cambridge University.
Besides, the publications of many research articles in international journals, some of his seminal books are: Asian Rice Bowls A Returning Crisis: Rice Research in Asia: Progress and Prospects; Impact of Rice Research in Asia; Strategy of Development in Bangladesh; Rural Economy and Livelihoods Insights from Bangladesh, Bish Geramer Golpo, Leading Issues in Rural Development.
The Foreign Policy, a global magazine of politics and economics, featured him in their list of 500 most prominent individuals in the international arena.
