Bangabandhu’s ideology is as relevant as ever, says Amartya Sen

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s ideology of separating religion from politics to establish a society based on equality is as relevant as ever today, said Nobel Laureate Prof Amartya Sen.

Speaking at a virtual seminar organised by the South Asia Centre of London School of Economics on Wednesday, marking the birth centenary of Bangabandhu, the prominent economist said Bangabandhu’s commitment to not using religion as a political instrument applies not just to Bangladesh, but is also ‘very important’ in a global context.

“No-one can rob us of his [Bangabandhu] clear-headed vision,” Sen said.

Highlighting the emphasis placed on the notions of socialism and secularism in drafting the first constitution of Bangladesh, he added, “Bangabandhu's idea of secularism did not mean that people could not have religious freedom, but rather to refrain from using religion as a political tool."

"It was said during the drafting of the constitution that [secularism] does not mean we will stop practising religion. Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Buddhists will all follow their own religion. Only the political use of religion would be barred.”

Sen noted Bangabandhu’s idea of secularism was similar to that of the Mughal Emperor Akbar and said, "The ideology of Bangabandhu and Akbar is still particularly relevant today. It can be applied not only in India, but also in other countries across the world."

"Their ideas could be used in political discussions in Europe or America. It may not only be relevant from a religious viewpoint but also in the context of racism and the rights of ethnic groups.”

Sen believes that it is necessary for people across the world to learn about and follow Mujib's ideology to reap its benefit and cement Bangabandhu's standing as 'Biswabandhu', or Friend of the World.

He also underscored Bangabandhu’s great quality of being able to create public opinion that enabled the Awami League to win the election in 1970 on the basis of its ‘policy of equity’.

“Bangabandhu believed very strongly in socialism. He wanted to create a state in which exploitation would be done away with. He wanted an egalitarian society, where there would be no privileged ruling class,” said Prof Rehman Sobhan, chairman of the Dhaka-based Centre for Policy Dialogue.

“Bangabandhu’s concept of socialism originated in his revealed experience, because he was a person who built his party from the grassroots up,” said Prof Sobhan.

He highlighted Bangabandhu's travels on foot to the rural areas or in ‘third-class rail compartments’.

Bangabandhu always impressed on his policymakers the importance of not creating an economic policy or a society that would ‘end up patronising the aspirant Bengali middle-class, which would soon become part of the ruling class,’ said Prof Sobhan, who also was a member of the first Planning Commission in Bangladesh.

“We should really strive to create a society in which the majority of the population becomes stakeholders and players in the creation of wealth and its benefits. This was the core element of Bangabandhu’s agenda.”

Prof Minouche Shafik, director of the London School of Economics, moderated the discussion. Alnoor Bhimani, director of South Asia Centre in LSE and Saida Muna Tasneem, Bangladesh high commissioner to the United Kingdom, also spoke.