Dr Mahfuzur Rahman, a regular contributor to The Daily Star, has passed away recently in New York, says a press release.

He authored several books including "Exports of Manufactures from Developing Countries”, "Flowers of Bengal" (first of its kind on flowers in Bangladesh), “World Economic Issues at the United Nations: Half a Century of Debate", “Khoda Hafez Vs Allah Hafez and Other Critical Essays”, and “The Amnesiacs”.

For his autobiographical book, "From Naogaon to New York: An Unedited Memoir”, Dr Rahman received the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 2013.

He obtained his master's degree in economics from Dhaka and Manchester universities and PhD from Netherlands School of Economics, under Jan Tinbergen, a Nobel laureate in economics.

Dr Rahman worked in the Bangladesh Planning Commission before joining the United Nations in New York in 1976. He retired from the organisation as director of economic policy analysis.

He was an activist in the Language Movement in 1952 and dedicated to a lifelong pursuit to promote social, political and economic development of Bangladesh.

He left behind his wife, two children, and three granddaughters.