Introduction
Nurul Islam is a Bangladeshi economist. Islam is noted for his part in the independence war of Bangladesh from Pakistan in the early seventies as well as for his leading role in designing Bangladesh's current economic system and laws. He was one of the closest advisors to, and confidants of, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first founding father and first Prime Minister of Bangladesh, and father of the current prime minister. Islam has mentored many Bengali political and power players (including Fakhruddin Ahmed and Muhammad Yunus).
He served as the Deputy Chairman of the first Planning Commission of Bangladesh in 1972. He is a primary contributor to the 6-Point Programme presented to the West Pakistan government during the struggle for independence.In 1961, Islam, Rehman Sobhan and Habibur Rehman organised a seminar on the economic disparities between West and East Pakistan.
He received the Bangladesh Bank Award (2009) for hiscontributions to theoretical and applied development economics. He authored total 29 books.
Background and education
Islam grew up in Chittagong. He completed his IA from Chittagong College. After studying in Presidency college, Calcutta and the University of Dhaka, he earned his PhD in economics from Harvard University in 1955.
Career
Islam joined the University of Dhaka as an associate professor of economics in 1960. In 1965, he left the university to become the director of the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (later Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies), and government minister as Head of the first Planning Commission of Bangladesh. He returned to Dhaka in 1969.
Islam was a Nuffield Foundation fellow at the London School of Economics and at Cambridge University. He also served as a Rockefeller fellow at the Netherlands School of Economics, and was a fellow at St Antony's College, Oxford.
Islam served as the Assistant Director General, Economic and Social Policy Department of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and as the Deputy Chairman, Bangladesh Planning Commission Ministry of the Government of Bangladesh during 1972–75.
Works
- Development Strategy of Bangladesh (1978)
- Development Planning in Bangladesh: A Study in Political Economy (1979)
- Foodgrain Price Stabilization in Developing Countries: Issues and Experiences in Asia (1996)
- Exploration in Development Issues: Selected Articles of Nurul Islam (2003)
- Making of a Nation, Bangladesh: An Economist's Tale (2003)
- An Odyssey: The Journey of My Life (2017)
Personal life
As of 2019, Islam resides with his wife Rowshan in Potomac, Maryland and Washington, D.C..
He is the father of economist Roumeen Islam, and entrepreneur Nayeem Islam. His granddaughter Leila Islam is a student at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Awards
- Bangladesh Bank Award (2009)
- BDI Lifetime Achievement Award (2013)