Dhaka:Prime Minister's Adviser on Finance and Planning Dr. Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir has attributed the 1974 famine in Bangladesh to the government's alienation from the populace's hopes and aspirations. He detailed that the regime from 1972-1975 lacked fundamental governance characteristics, forming paramilitary forces to suppress citizens.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Dr. Titumir made these remarks during a seminar titled 'The 1974 Famine: Post-Independence Economic Crisis' held at the July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. He highlighted the disparity in rice prices, with international rates at US$147 per metric tonne compared to US$316 in Bangladesh, indicating a lack of market control.
Dr. Titumir criticized the government's comprehensive governance failures, drawing parallels with the Sheikh Hasina administration, which he claimed similarly suppressed dissent. He also commented on individuals wishing to return to Bangladesh, stating they lacked genuine connection to the country.
Writer Asif Iqbal emphasized the massive human toll of the post-independence economic crisis, while economist Dr. Nahian Bin Khaled pointed to food hoarding and monopolization as major famine causes. Ehasan Mahamud, Director General of the museum, linked the famine to political mismanagement and market failures, exacerbated by nepotism.
The seminar, part of the museum's 'Democratic Journey Seminar Series,' was moderated by Tuhin Khan and attended by various stakeholders including academics, researchers, and civil society representatives.