A glimpse into post-Liberation War challenges

War-ravaged, Bangladesh faced crucial challenges centring nation building just after its birth. The economy ceased to function, as non-Bangalees, who controlled trade and industries prior to independence, seemingly disappeared overnight after the nation's victory on December 16, 1971.

Infrastructure was demolished. Two staple crops were affected, and the country was on the verge of famine.

Prof Rehman Sobhan, who was a member of the first Planning Commission after the liberation in 1971, vividly described all these events -- the struggle to set up administration and fix the direction of the economy during the first three and half years of independence -- in the second part of his autobiography.

On top of that, except for a few, namely Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, no one had experience of running a government. Most of the people working with the Planning Commission did not have any experience of working inside the government.

The then leadership had to set up all the institutions of government -- various ministries, financial institutions, tax collection mechanism, planning and related institutions. This had to be done in the shortest possible time with very limited experienced people, and that too amid a lot of constraints.

Prof Rehman Sobhan, who was a member of the first Planning Commission after the liberation in 1971, vividly described all these events -- the struggle to set up administration and fix the direction of the economy during the first three and half years of independence -- in the second part of his autobiography.

In his memoir, "Untranquil Recollections: From Dawn to Darkness: Political Economy of Nation Building in Post-Liberation Bangladesh", Sobhan gives vivid and personalised accounts of the first three and half years of nation building.

"We had to create a government out of practically nothing that time… There was no administration and no functioning economy, as non-Bangalees left trading, let alone heavy industry stores, just the day after the liberation. This was the time," said Sobhan at the launch of the book at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) office yesterday.

CPD and publisher of the book The University Press Ltd organised the hybrid event, physically participated by invited discussants and welcoming the audience virtually.

"We were really on the verge of famine in 1972, as production of crops for two successive seasons was not possible because of war," he said.

The newly set up Planning Commission, of which Sobhan was an integral part and a key member, was vested with the responsibilities of providing a roadmap to Bangabandhu in laying the foundations of a socialist economy in Bangladesh.

The book provides an insider's view as to how the Planning Commission dealt with policy issues, how the political economy played out, how the first Five-Year Plan was formulated, and how foreign relationships were built, till the time of the tragedy of August 15, 1975.

Divided in 16 chapters, the 407-page book features various phases of Sobhan's life till 1975.

In the book, the author points out that Bangabandhu's regime started out with high hopes and later explains the reasons why those hopes never came to fruition.

The author has also brought to the fore the power struggle between bureaucrats and academicians at that time, and the gap in policy-making and implementation.

Sobhan reflected on the past regarding nationalisation and its eventual failure for bureaucratisation of management and operation of enterprises, industries without giving autonomy to the enterprises.

At the launching yesterday, he said the key challenge was putting policies into practice. "Policy making is the easiest part," he said, "but implementing those policies is the real challenge."

Gonoforum President Dr Kamal Hossain said the memoir does not limit itself to economic dimensions only, rather it also reflects on the political difficulties in building the nation.

This book will be an invaluable contribution in revealing the history of making Bangladesh. It is a synthesis of politics and economics, he said.

CPD Distinguished Fellow Prof Rounaq Jahan said the book is an important historical document on the country's founding years. She said it is an "objective, frank and non-judgmental assessment of that period. Although he was a participant, it has self- criticism".

While chairing the programme, M Syeduzzaman, former finance minister and planning secretary, considered the book launching an occasion to relay the thoughts and knowledge of an extraordinary scholar and quintessential political economist to the younger generation.

The Daily Star Editor and Publisher Mahfuz Anam said, "In the book, we get a clear picture of how the highest political leadership of the day -- Bangabandhu -- instead of going to his party leaders, sought the expertise and intellectual guidance of the academicians to chalk out the economic roadmap for the country."

"Bangabandhu wanted to build an exploitation-free society. However, it appears that there was distance between the concept of socialism of the Planning Commission and that of political leadership," he said.

Gyantapas Abdur Razzaq Foundation Director General Ahrar Ahmad said, "This book must not only be read, it should also be studied."

Research Initiatives, Bangladesh Executive Director Dr Meghna Guhathakurta proposed that universities take steps to have studies on this book, and study circles could be formed on books written on that period.

Former Jahangirnagar University Vice Chancellor Prof Abdul Bayes said the book contains many unknown information and insights beneficial for both old and new generations.

Prof Habibul Haque Khondker of humanities and social sciences department at Zayed University, CPD Distinguished Fellow Prof Mustafizur Rahman, and UPL Managing Director Mahrukh Mohiuddin also spoke at the programme.