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Husain, Abul Fazal Atwar (1918-1987) economist, National
Professor (1987). Born on 21 August 1918 in noakhali
town where his father was employed as a deputy magistrate.
His father hailed from a respectable Muslim family of bogra.
A F A Husain passed the Matriculation and Intermediate Examinations respectively
from Noakhali Zilla School and Dhaka College. He obtained first Class
in BA Honours in Economics and Political Science from the University of
Dhaka in 1938.
In the same year, he went to England on a state scholarship and
got admitted to London School of Economics. He studied there till
1943 and did BSc and MSc in Economics. Between 1943 and 1948,
he was an Extension Lecturer at the London University and worked
in India House. The Partition of Bengal in 1947 induced him to
return home. He joined Dhaka University and was the first teacher
to be appointed as a Reader directly in the Department of Economics.
In 1951, he married Rahmat Ara, who later became Principal of
eden
girls' college and Provost of Roquiah Hall of Dhaka
University.
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Abul Fazal Atwar Husain |
In 1953, A F A Husain was appointed professor and head
of the Department of Commerce, University of Dhaka. He demonstrated great
abilities as a researcher. The first research study led by him was on
the human and social impact of technological changes in Pakistan
which was financed by UNESCO. The research report was published by the
Oxford University Press and raised his image among scholars at home and
abroad. Professor Husain was the team leader of several research studies
published by the Bureau of Economic Research of the Dhaka University.
Noteworthy among them are: Employment of Middle Class Muslim Women
in Dhaka (1958); Rural Credit and Unemployment in East Pakistan
(1959); Marketing of Jute in East Pakistan (1962); and Social
Integration of Industrial Workers in Khulna (1965).
Professor Husain was an advisor to Study on Household
Savings (1985) and of the series of background studies for the Third
Five year Plan of Bangladesh. He wrote the chapter on Pakistan in the
UNESCO publication titled The People of Savings and Wealth in Southern
Asia and the West edited by Professor RD Lambert of Pennsylvania University
and Professor BF Hoselitz of Chicago University.
Professor Husain worked as an economic officer of SEATO during 1956-1958 and in 1958, he joined the Planning Board of the government of East Pakistan. Later, he became a member of the Planning Commission of the government of Pakistan and worked there till 1972. On return to Bangladesh, he joined the Planning Commission of the government of Bangladesh as a consultant. In 1973, he visited Christian Michaelson Institute of
Bergen, Norway and worked as a Director in the Commonwealth Secretariat, London in 1976. He was a visiting Professor at the bids (Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies) for 1976-77. In 1980, he worked as the team leader of the FAO-UNDP sponsored Rural Poverty Study in Sarawak, Malaysia. His last assignment was as Chairman of the Commission on Money, Banking and Credit of the government of Bangladesh. He served many government committees and commissions. He was President of the Pakistan Economics Association. He was also a member of the Economic Appraisal Committee of the government of Bangladesh.
Professor A F A Husain was appointed National Professor
in 1987. But just after one week following this appointment, he died.
He funded a ward in the Rotary Club Hospital at Dhaka in his father's
name. Also his wife, Rahmat Ara established a fund in Dhaka University
for a student scholarship and another one in asiatic
society of bangladesh for patronising research. [M Habibullah] |
