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Noted economist professor Dr. Nurul Islam, the first deputy chairman of the country’s first planning commission, breathed his last around 12:00pm local time on Tuesday in Washington, DC, of the USA. He was 94.
Adnan Morshed, a professor at the Catholic University of America in Washington, confirmed the matter to the media.
Professor Nurul Islam achieved Ph.D. from Harvard University after completing a bachelor’s and master’s in economics from Dhaka University. He was the first Bangali director of the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics.
Dr Islam was the first chairman of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS). The BIDS expressed its deep shock over the death of the economist.
The Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI) also expressed deep condolence at the demise of the renowned economist.
Dr Zaidi Sattar, chairman of the PRI, said this is an irreparable loss for the country.
Professor Nurul Islam was serving the duty of emeritus fellow of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). He joined the institute in 1987 as a senior policy adviser to the director general. He also wrote around 25 books.
In his long professional career, he served as director general of the economic and social development department of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.
Besides, he was a teacher at Economics Department of Dhaka University. He was also the chairman of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).
He received Bangladesh Bank Award in 2009.
Dr Islam was born at Patiya in Chattogram. He is noted for his role in the Independence War of Bangladesh from Pakistan in the early seventies. He was one of the closest advisors to, and confidants of, the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Sources said that Dr Nurul Islam would be buried in Washington in the USA as all his close relatives reside there.