Professor Anisur Rahman was my teacher and guide

Any death is painful, but when it is the death of someone like Professor Anisur Rahman, it becomes incredibly hard to bear. Professor Anisur Rahman was my direct teacher. He had been suffering from various age-related complications for a long time. While he was ill, Professor Anisur Rahman was admitted to the United Hospital in the capital, where he passed away on January 5. Professor Anisur Rahman was born in 1933 in Brahmanbaria, although his ancestral home was in Kendua, Netrokona. He was one of the key organizers of the Bangladesh Liberation War. In the 1960s, he assisted in the formulation of the Six-Point Movement led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. After independence, he became one of the members of the first Planning Commission of Bangladesh formed under the leadership of Sheikh Mujib. His death is an irreparable loss to the nation. Every person must taste death, but it is very difficult to accept the passing of someone like Professor Anisur Rahman.

Anisur Rahman was a highly respected and beloved teacher of mine. In 1974, when I enrolled in the Department of Economics at Dhaka University, Professor Anisur Rahman was the chairperson of the department. At that time, the rule was that the most senior professors would teach the first-year classes. Professor Anisur Rahman took our first-year Microeconomics class. On the first day of class, he entered and asked, "Who among you has scored the highest marks in Economics?" Many of us raised our hands. I also raised mine. He then told us, "You will face two kinds of problems." We were all taken aback and asked him why there would be problems. He replied, "Most of what you have learned before is wrong. You will have to forget those mistakes. That will be your first challenge."

The second problem, he said, was that what I am going to teach you now is new. You will have to learn it as well. So, you will face two kinds of problems. Hearing this from our professor, we were all amused, as no one had ever said such things to us before. The pride we had as good students was instantly shattered by him. On the first day itself, he made another remark. He asked, "What is the definition of economics?" We all gave the definitions we had learned. Some said that economics is about how to fulfill infinite wants with limited resources, others gave various definitions. When it was my turn, I raised my hand and said that economics deals with the relationship of production. With a look of appreciation, the professor said, "I can smell Marx in your answer."

On the first day, he also said, "I will not give you any textbooks." He made it clear, "The hardworking farmers of Bangladesh will be your teachers." He explained that you need to understand how farmers make economic decisions and increase production. He taught us the marginal analysis of microeconomics using graphs. He would talk about the problems faced by a grassroots farmer and the decisions he makes to solve those problems. Professor Anisur Rahman would describe these issues and assign us the task of finding solutions. He often said, "The farmer is your teacher; I am not the teacher."

In his teaching method, he would often discuss a topic briefly, then hand us the chalk and duster, make us the teachers, and sit quietly at the back. We would then teach each other. This method seemed very effective. Both the weakest and the best students benefited from this approach. Those of us who later entered the teaching profession have applied Professor Anisur Rahman’s teaching style. The way he taught was probably similar to Aristotle's method. This method is known as the "Method of Midwife." The core idea of this method is that you must help bring out the solution from within the learner, not impose anything on them. Professor Anisur Rahman was against forcing anything on his students. He wanted them to solve their own problems. The knowledge he wanted to impart had to come from the student's own understanding and realization.

Professor Anisur Rahman followed another method in his teaching. Every week or every 15 days, he would take us to TSC (Teacher-Student Center) for lunch. During this meal, we were free to ask him any questions. We could even ask him personal questions about life, career goals, or any issues we were facing. These conversations were open, and we discussed things like what we were doing at home, which books we were reading, and so on.

Professor Anisur Rahman had resigned from the Planning Commission and joined Dhaka University. He also told me the reason for his resignation. He had suggested to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman that, given his popularity, if he traveled around Bangladesh and encouraged people to work voluntarily, it could greatly benefit the country. However, Sheikh Mujib did not heed this advice. Anisur Rahman also gave him another suggestion: to establish an ideal village. Sheikh Mujib then told him, "You are creating an ideal village, and that will be my village." But this second suggestion was also not accepted. After the formation of JASAD (the Leftist political party), Anisur Rahman, with the permission of Sheikh Mujib, gave a speech at the Chhatra League's gathering at Paltan Maidan. At that time, he was working in the Planning Commission. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had told him, "Professor, you may attend the meeting, but please explain to them that they do not need to act against me in the name of socialism. I will establish socialism myself."

Towards the end of his life, he completely lost faith in bourgeois economics. He believed in the philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore, who advocated for self-reliance and trust in inner strength. Professor Anisur Rahman practiced Rabindra Sangeet (songs by Rabindranath) and often spoke about the importance of this philosophy. He wanted to teach the left-wing intellectuals that Marxism-Leninism should not be imposed on people. Instead, they should ask the people what they want and align Marxism-Leninism with the people's needs.

He often quoted Mao Zedong, saying, "Mao never told his people that they were poor. He always told them they were working-class and creative. They will do everything." Mao did not belittle the people by calling them poor. Professor Anisur Rahman detested the concept of poverty that we use today. He called it the "Lifestock Concept of Poverty." He believed that animals might seek food simply to survive, but humans have broader needs. Alongside food, humans require education, healthcare, and other basic necessities. He argued that capitalists had introduced the concept of the poverty line to cheaply exploit labor forces.

Towards the end of his life, he completely lost faith in bourgeois economics. He believed in the philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore, who advocated for self-reliance and trust in inner strength. Professor Anisur Rahman practiced Rabindra Sangeet (songs by Rabindranath) and often spoke about the importance of this philosophy. He wanted to teach the left-wing intellectuals that Marxism-Leninism should not be imposed on people. Instead, they should ask the people what they want and align Marxism-Leninism with the people's needs.

He often quoted Mao Zedong, saying, "Mao never told his people that they were poor. He always told them they were working-class and creative. They will do everything." Mao did not belittle the people by calling them poor. Professor Anisur Rahman detested the concept of poverty that we use today. He called it the "Livestock Concept of Poverty." He believed that animals might seek food simply to survive, but humans have broader needs. Alongside food, humans require education, healthcare, and other basic necessities. He argued that capitalists had introduced the concept of the poverty line to cheaply exploit labor forces.

According to Professor Anisur Rahman, humans have always been creative, and therefore, they were never truly poor. In primitive societies, there were no discrimination, although they ate less than modern people. They often died young or suffered from illness, and they were vulnerable to nature. However, no one called them poor. He asked, "Why should we abandon such noble thoughts now?" Humans are the greatest beings. Their true achievement is overcoming the impossible, making the impossible possible. Professor Anisur Rahman dreamed of awakening the inner strength of the people, believing that this was the key to overcoming the challenges of life.

Dr. M M Akash: Economist and Professor, Department of Economics, University of Dhaka
Transcription: M A Khaleque