Renowned Bangladeshi economist Professor Rehman Sobhan turned 90 on Wednesday.
Born in Kolkata on March 12, 1935, into an illustrious family with connections to the Nawab family of Dhaka on his mother’s side and a reputed Murshidabad family on his father’s side, Prof Sobhan has made significant contributions to the economic and social landscape of Bangladesh.
He studied at St Paul’s School in Darjeeling, Aitchison College in Lahore, and the University of Cambridge, where he earned an MA in Economics.
His career began in 1957 as a faculty member in the Economics Department of Dhaka University, where he later became a professor before retiring in 1977.
Over the years, he has held numerous key positions, including member of the Bangladesh Planning Commission, chairman of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), and executive director of the South Asia Centre for Policy Studies (SACEPS).
Prof Sobhan played a crucial role during Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971, serving as envoy extraordinary with special responsibility for economic affairs in the Mujibnagar government.
He was also a member of the Advisory Council of the president of Bangladesh in 1991, overseeing the Ministry of Planning and the Economic Relations Division.
Throughout his career, Prof Sobhan has been affiliated with prestigious institutions such as Queen Elizabeth House at Oxford University, Columbia University’s Initiative for Policy Dialogue, and Harvard University’s Ash Institute for Democratic Governance.
He has also served as chairman of Grameen Bank’s Board, a member of the UN Committee for Development Planning, and a member of the Panel of Economists for Pakistan’s Third and Fourth Five-Year Plans before Bangladesh’s independence.
A prolific writer, Prof Sobhan has authored 27 books, 15 research monographs, and 140 articles in professional journals.
His notable works include “Challenging Injustice: The Odyssey of a Bangladeshi Economist”, “Milestones to Bangladesh”, “The Political Economy of Malgovernance in Bangladesh”, “The Crisis of External Dependence: The Political Economy of Foreign Aid to Bangladesh”, and “Rediscovering the Southern Silk Route”.
Currently, he serves as the chairman of CPD, a board member of SACEPS in Kathmandu, and the chairman of the Pratichi Trust (Bangladesh), founded by Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen.
