Kazi Fazlur Rahman, a former senior civil servant and adviser to Bangladesh’s first Non-Party Caretaker Government, died on Saturday, at the age of 93, his family said in a statement.
Born in Feni in 1932, Rahman was known for a distinguished career in public administration.
He topped both the SSC and HSC examinations before earning First Class First results in his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in statistics from the University of Dhaka.
He later studied at the London School of Economics, Oxford University and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Rahman made history in 1956 as the first Bengalee to top Pakistan’s Central Superior Services examination.
He went on to serve as secretary in the ministries of Education; Fisheries and Livestock; Petroleum and Mineral Resources; and the External Resources Division.
His work on the Mass Literacy Project and Universal Primary Education Program earned international recognition.
He also held international positions, including Alternate Executive Director and board member at the Asian Development Bank, and worked with the World Bank and other institutions on governance and public-sector reform.
In 1990, Rahman served as adviser with the rank of minister in the caretaker government under president Shahabuddin Ahmed, overseeing the ministries of Irrigation, Forest and Environment, Fisheries and Livestock.
He contributed to several social and development organisations, including Brac, the Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation, the Radda MCH-FP Centre and the Acid Survivors Foundation.
He authored more than 30 books, including the widely read Amlar Dinlipi series.
Rahman was married to the late Lily Rahman. He is survived by four daughters, one son and ten grandchildren.
His Janaza prayers will be held on December 15 at Baitul Aman Masjid in Dhanmondi and on December 16 at the family mosque in Shilua, Feni, followed by burial in the ancestral graveyard.
