1972–75 government used state violence to cling to power, Titumir says

The government in power between 1972 and 1975 lacked public support and relied on state violence to remain in power, said Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Planning.

He made the remarks at a seminar titled ‘The 1974 Famine: Post-Independence Economic Crisis’ organised by the July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka on Sunday.

Titumir said the government's failure to respond to people's aspirations, political mismanagement and lack of accountability contributed to the 1974 famine.

"The government of 1972–75 failed to maintain even the basic characteristics required to run a state. It had virtually no connection with the people. For this reason, a paramilitary force was formed to suppress citizens," he said.

Citing rice prices, Titumir said a metric tonne of rice cost $147 on the international market in 1972, compared with $316 in Bangladesh. He said the disparity demonstrated the government's failure to regulate the market and ensure accountability.

He added that the government had failed not only in economic management but also in almost every aspect of governance, and did not believe in the sovereignty of the people.

Comparing the 1972–75 government with Sheikh Hasina's rule from 2009 to 2024, Titumir said both administrations had used repression against political opponents to retain power.

"Anyone who opposed the government was subjected to repression and killed. The Sheikh Hasina government was essentially an extension of the 1972–75 regime," he said.

Referring to reports that some former political figures wanted to return to Bangladesh in December, he said they had never established a genuine connection with the country's land, nature or people and would not be able to return.

Writer and Panam Institute Treasurer Asif Iqbal and economist and researcher Dr Nahian Bin Khaled also attended the seminar as discussants. The event was the fifth session of the museum's ‘Democratic Journey Seminar Series’.

Asif Iqbal said nearly 1.5 million people had died during the economic crisis in the post-independence period, describing the 1974 famine as an economic catastrophe rather than simply an economic crisis.

He said there was little public expression of grief following the fall of the government in 1975, as people were still traumatised by the loss of family members to starvation just months earlier.

He also said people took to the streets alongside soldiers in the subsequent political upheaval because they did not want a return to the previous political system.

Referring to the current government's engagement with the public, Iqbal cited the participation of the head of government in a rally on National Revolution and Solidarity Day, saying walking alongside ordinary citizens was an example of public engagement.

He said the government should recognise people's expectations and maintain direct contact with them, something he said had been absent during the 1974 famine.

Dr Nahian Bin Khaled said the concentration of control over food and resources in the hands of privileged groups was a major factor behind the famine.

He said the rationing system had become accessible mainly to a particular section of society, leaving rural farmers, workers and ordinary citizens deprived of essential food assistance.

He added that hoarders had stockpiled large quantities of rice, while the government failed to curb their influence or regulate the market. The situation fuelled widespread public anger, he said.

In his presidential address, July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum Director General Ehsan Mahmud said global economic crises had contributed to the famine, but failures in market regulation and political mismanagement were the main causes.

He said nepotism and family-centred politics during the 1972–75 period had weakened state institutions, with the ruling establishment controlling the distribution of everything from rice and wheat to relief blankets.

Ehsan also highlighted the limited representation of the 1974 famine in literature and the arts.

He said few notable literary or artistic works had addressed the famine, apart from poet Rafique Azad's famous poem ‘Bhaat De Haramzada, Naile Manchitro Khabo’ (Give me rice, you bastard, or I'll eat the map).

He added that the famine had received little attention in songs, theatre and other artistic forms. He also alleged that existing works on the famine had not received adequate public exposure.

Calling for greater public access to the famine-themed paintings of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, Ehsan said the artworks should be displayed for the general public rather than remain confined to private collections.

Writer and researcher Tuhin Khan moderated the seminar, which was attended by university teachers, researchers, lawyers, students and civil society representatives.