The 6th Nahreen Khan Memorial Lecture was held on Wednesday at East West University (EWU) in the Manzur Elahi Auditorium. Renowned economist and intellectual Professor Rehman Sobhan delivered the keynote address titled Constructing A More Just Society in Bangladesh.
Professor Sobhan identified four major areas of inequality in Bangladesh: market injustice, inequitable social opportunity, political injustice, and state injustice. He highlighted how farmers remain trapped in poverty while middlemen, supported by syndicates, reap the benefits. He criticized the market’s unequal access to information, wealth, and credit.
Addressing disparities in education and healthcare, he explained how the wealthy enjoy better services, leaving the less fortunate behind. He pointed out that political participation heavily favors affluent individuals, with many businessmen in parliament using their positions to expand personal interests. He argued that the state has historically prioritized elites like bureaucrats, businessmen, and military officials, neglecting the poor.
Offering hope, Professor Sobhan proposed national goals to eliminate discrimination. He urged creating equal opportunities for ethnic and religious minorities and women. He suggested distributing land to the landless to enhance production, giving workers ownership stakes in factories to reduce unrest, and dedicating 5% of the national budget to education. Additionally, he recommended universal healthcare through public-private partnerships.
The event honored the late Nahreen Khan, a former EWU student and daughter of Dr Akbar Ali Khan, former adviser to the caretaker government.
Several distinguished figures spoke at the event, including Professor Dr Mohammed Farashuddin, EWU Chief Adviser and former Bangladesh Bank governor, Professor Dr Shams Rahman, EWU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dr Fakrul Alam, and Air Cdre (retd) Ishfaq Ilahi Choudhury, EWU Treasurer.
The program brought together faculty members, students, officials, and relatives of Nahreen Khan, creating a meaningful platform to discuss critical social issues.
