Professor Rehman Sobhan on Thursday said Dr Akbar Ali Khan, as a civil servant, was "exceptional" in a period where "integrity and objectivity were progressively eroding" in the culture of the bureaucracy. “The discussants duly emphasized on his academic prowess. But we also need to explore his life as a civil servant," said Rehman Sobhan, renowned economist and Chairman of Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), while speaking at a webinar. Remembering eminent economist and former caretaker government advisor Dr Khan, Sobhan also said Dr Khan stood firm and he had to pay the price for it periodically. Professor Rounaq Jahan, Distinguished Fellow, CPD emphasized on the contribution Akbar Ali Khan made through his writing in the public sphere.  “From his writing, it becomes visible that he was an academic at heart. He believed in promoting reforms, and when he talked about reforms he was very objective about it. He wanted more discussion and debate on his work and writings, which say that he was a believer of public reasoning,” she said.

Economists and civil society expressed shock at the sudden death of Dr. Akbar Ali Khan, hailing him as a person of progressive principles and enlightened intellect. They also agreed that his first identity was as a freedom fighter. The ideals of the Liberation War were aptly reflected in his professional life, and his passing away is an irrecoverable loss for society, they said. They also said the spirit of the Liberation War was reflected in his personal and professional life, in how he thought of building a prosperous economy along with creating a society based on justice. Talking with UNB, Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya said Akbar Ali Khan reflected the philosophy of self-sacrifice in his life rather than being confined by bureaucratic trappings. "He was behind introducing and creating a consensus in favour of the principles which are now being accepted very naturally in the administration of the state. He never shied away from linking democratic accountability with development. Instead, he was always vocal about it," said Dr. Debapriya, who is also a distinguished fellow of private think-tank CPD. Read: Dr. Akbar Ali Khan: A farewell to the Professor of integrity Finally, he said Akbar Ali Khan was a brilliant representative of civil society and never hesitated in his post-service life to clarify his policy positions. Hossain Zillur Rahman, former adviser of a caretaker government, said Akbar Ali was a seeker of knowledge at heart, but not isolated from the people of his society. “From his early book Discovery of Bangladesh to the numerous titles that followed, he was both meticulous in his scholarship and keen to connect to his readership. His unorthodox titles, his communicative language through which he explained complex economic issues in ways that both piqued and engaged a wide variety of readers, is testament to his great success as an author,” Zillur said. He traversed many careers: teacher, bureaucrat, freedom fighter, policymaker, writer, and public intellectual. But there was one constant thread in this long and eventful life journey: a fierce sense of integrity, dedication to service, and openness to learning, he said. Read: Prof Yunus condoles death of Akbar Ali Khan Dr. Selim Raihan, executive director of the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM), said Akbar Ali was a bureaucrat in his professional life, but he was not limited to that. “He also left an impression of excellence in bureaucracy. He also initiated reforms, although we know how difficult it is to reform the country's bureaucracy. In some cases he succeeded, in many cases, he did not,” Raihan said. He had the ability to deeply analyze the socio-economic development of the country. And he also studied the political economy of this development. This is also reflected in his writings. As a result, a great vacuum has been created in the intellectual discourse of the country. “Many questions are now being raised about how inclusive and sustainable development is. Akbar Ali also spoke about these issues. Not that he talked much about these issues, but what he said had depth,” said Raihan, who is also a professor of development studies at the University of Dhaka.

Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammed Yunus has expressed shock and deep sorrow at the death of former adviser to the caretaker government and prominent economist Dr Akbar Ali Khan. Akbar Ali Khan passed away in Dhaka Thursday night after a prolonged illness. He was 78. In his condolence message, Prof Yunus said "I knew Akbar Ali Khan since his student life but I got the chance to work with him in-depth when he was appointed as the chairman of Grameen Bank as a representative of the government." Dr Khan worked as the chairman of Grameen Bank for almost five years and he quickly adopted the activities of Grameen Bank as his own, said Prof Yunus.  "His thoughts gave us inspiration all the time," the Nobel Laureate said. Read: Akbar Ali Khan laid to rest "During his chairmanship, his support and initiatives made Grameen Bank a powerful institution. Dr Khan had a deep love for the countrymen, especially needy women," he added. Prof Yunus said that in his personal life Dr Akbar’s honesty was beyond question and recalled his huge contributions to the country. Prof Yunus prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and extended his heartfelt sympathy to Akbar Ali Khan's family.

A book on poverty named after ‘Daridrer Orthoniti, Otit, Bortoman O Bhobishshot’ (Economics of Poverty: Past, Present and Future) authored by noted economist and bureaucrat Dr Akbar Ali Khan was launched in the capital.