SOAS Research Online

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.