Theorising the politics of famine: Bangladesh in 1974

Hossain, N.

Abstract

1974 saw the first - and last - famine in independent Bangladesh. The disaster killed two per cent of the population and caused a crisis of legitimacy for the new leadership. Its catastrophic aftermath saw the emergence of an agreement among ruling elites and citizens that protection against mass starvation was a priority for the legitimation of political rule. This article draws on the 1974 Bangladesh famine to revisit theories of the politics of famine at a time when episodes of mass starvation are on the rise. The effort at theory-building draws specific attention to how to incorporate the geopolitics of famine and humanitarian relief into the analysis of the political reasons famines occur or are not prevented.

Citation

Hossain, N. (2025). Theorising the politics of famine: Bangladesh in 1974. London

• Working Paper Type: Working Paper
• Acceptance Date: Mar 1, 2025
• Publication Date: Mar 1, 2025
• Deposit Date: Mar 14, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 26, 2025
• Pages: 1-25
• Keywords: Bangladesh, Famine, Politics of famine, Mass starvation, Disaster, International aid, Food aid