“I should never have left Patna.”

Excerpts from an interview of Akhtar Hameed Khan taken by Dhaka features service NewsNetwork. The interviewers write: "Begum Akhtar Hameed Khan came and served us tea and snacks herself. They have no full-time household help even though Karachi is full of Bengali domestics. The apartment they live in is simple and without any frills."

• Would you tell us something about the Comilla model?

AKH: The Comilla model was not my idea at all. It was an American idea. All I did was to implement it. All I can claim is that I implemented the rural development model well. It was a good demonstration… You must remember the time when the model was tried. It was at the height of the Cold War. The Harvard group was running a variety of models in Asia to explore alternatives to communism. Comilla was one of them.

• So it did have economic propaganda objectives?

Yes, it did. In fact, it was the US response to the socialist model of agricultural development. The Americans developed and tried out such models in various parts of Asia especially Southeast Asia. Pakistan was at that time friendly towards the USA. So the model was applied here as well. It fell to Comilla to try it and we did a good job.

• And what do you think of the impact of the model. What do you think was its permanent effect?

Well, it is obvious today that the socialist world is in disarray. Examples of failure are all over. On the other hand, the Southeast Asian countries, where the models were tried in full have done extremely well. They have problems now and then but they have been able to deliver a lot of goods and services to their people.

• So, in a way you participated in a proxy economic ideological battle?

I was not interested in the socialist or the capitalist ideology. I have my own ideology to follow. I wanted to help people. I think Bangladesh would have benefitted a lot if they had continued with the Comilla approach. But they put politics into it and that ended it.

• There is a lot of politics around the Comilla model now. You are accused of being a pro-American and anti-socialist.

Yes, and by your country's upper class socialist economists who would never think of spending a night in the village as a way of life. Who would be totally lost if they had to live like a common man.

• And you disagree with their criticism that you were working on behalf of Western political interest?

I worked for no one except the people and certainly have a strong personal philosophy to uphold. If these new socialists are so confident about their ideology, why haven't they come up with a solution for Bangladesh's distressed economy? Why haven't they helped Bangladesh? I tried to do something practical for the people and my work was grounded in the co-operative movement, in the spirit of working together. That worked as long as the Comilla spirit was there.

• But then why such criticism?

Because we criticise the past to defend our present. Criticising Comilla isn't necessary to do something new. However, let's not get into controversy anymore. But the so-called socialist intellectuals haven't yet done much for Bangladesh's welfare.

• Why do you call them "so-called"?

Because they stay in the most expensive part of Dhaka, earn huge sums through consultancy contracts and talk about socialism. I can claim to be a socialist. I earn little and live simply. That is socialism. You can't be a hypocrite and work for the people. (Starts laughing)

• You are still talked about. Your admirers tell many stories about you. Some of the anecdotes, like your transformation to social service from imperial ICS as a result of an interaction with a cobbler, how you spent time as a locksmith in Patna to lose your ego and so on…

Stories are always made about people. Don't believe any stories that you hear…

• And are you really driven by any philosophy. Any creed or dogma or faith?

I believe that if you can accept the fact that you will be parted from your dear and beloved ones and lose what you consider precious, then you have conquered much of your self. You can't be touched by pain anymore. You can work without thinking of awards or rewards. The pain of living will be diminished and accepting that reality you can go ahead.

• You have had some trouble with the religious groups here. You were accused of blasphemy.

It's all a misunderstanding. It's more the work of a few people who had problems with other people. I don't think I have had any trouble. It's over now.

• You have been part of the development initiative in South Asia, especially Pakistan, East and West. How would you describe the future?

Pakistan's two great problems are sectarianism and feudalism. People are not together. In that way, despite your [Bangladesh's] present economic difficulties you have a bright future. If you notice, the Bangladesh economy is skill-centred. The garments sector is a good example. Women have joined the work force and that's very important. There is a lot of similarity between the nature of Bangladeshi economy and that of the Southeast Asian tiger economies. You aren't held back by feudalism like Pakistan is.

• The final question. Any real regrets in life?

Yes, one. I should never have left Patna.