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{{Short description|Pakistani scientist and activist (1914–1999)}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=March 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Akhtar Hameed Khan
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1914|7|15}}
| birth_place = [[Agra]], [[United Provinces of Agra and Oudh]], [[British Raj|British India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1999|10|9|1914|7|15}}
| death_place = [[Indianapolis]], Indiana, US
| field = [[Rural development]], [[Microcredit]]
| work_institution = [[Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development]]; National Centre for Rural Development, Pakistan; [[Michigan State University]]
| alma_mater = [[Magdalene College, Cambridge]]
| known_for = Microcredit, [[Microfinance]], [[Comilla Model]], [[Orangi Pilot Project]]
| prizes = [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]], ''[[Nishan-e-Imtiaz]]'', ''[[Sitara-e-Pakistan]]'', Jinnah Award
}}
'''Akhter Hameed Khan''' ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|اختر حمید خان}}}}, pronounced {{IPA|hns|ˈəxt̪ər ɦəˈmiːd̪ xaːn|}}; 15 July 1914 – 9 October 1999) was a Pakistani-Bangladeshi development practitioner and [[social scientist]]. He promoted participatory [[rural development]] in [[Pakistan|West Pakistan]], [[Bangladesh|East Pakistan]] and other developing countries, and widely advocated community participation in development. His particular contribution was the establishment of a comprehensive project for rural development, the [[Comilla Model]] (1959). It earned him the [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]] from the [[Philippines]] and an honorary [[Doctorate of law]] from [[Michigan State University]].

In the 1980s he started a bottom-up [[community development]] initiative of [[Orangi Pilot Project]], based in the outskirts of [[Karachi]], which became a model of participatory development initiatives. He also directed many programmes, from microcredit to self-finance and from housing provision to [[family planning]], for rural communities and urban [[slum]]s. It earned him international recognition and [[Civil decorations of Pakistan|high honours]] in Pakistan. Khan was fluent in at least seven languages and dialects. Apart from many scholarly books and articles, he also published a collection of poems and [[Travel literature|travelogues]] in [[Urdu]].

==Early life==
Khan was born on 15 July 1914 in [[Agra, Uttar Pradesh|Agra]]. He was among the four sons and three daughters of Khansaahib Ameer Ahmed Khan and Mehmoodah Begum.<ref>Yousaf, Nasim: "Allama Mashriqi & Dr. Akhtar Hameed Khan: Two Legends of Pakistan" (2003), p. 338.</ref> His father, a [[police inspector]], was inspired by the reformist thinking of [[Syed Ahmed Khan]]. In his early age, Khan's mother introduced him to the poetry of [[Maulana Hali]] and [[Muhammad Iqbal]], the [[sermon]]s of [[Abul Kalam Azad]], and the [[Sufi]]st philosophy of [[Rumi]]. This upbringing influenced his interest in historical as well as contemporary social, economic, and political affairs.<ref>Hasan (1996), pp. xiii–xiv.</ref>

Khan attended Government High School at Jalam ([[Uttar Pradesh]]), and completed his education in 1930 at Agra College where he studied English literature and history. He read English literature, history, and philosophy for a Bachelor of Arts degree at [[Meerut College]] in 1932. At that point, his mother was diagnosed with [[tuberculosis]]. She died in the same year at the age of 36.<ref>Yousaf, Nasim (2003), pp. 339–340.</ref> Khan continued his studies and was awarded a Master of Arts in English Literature from [[Agra University]] in 1934. He worked as a lecturer at Meerut College before joining the [[Indian Civil Service]] (ICS) in 1936.<ref>Yousaf, Nasim (2003), p. 345.</ref> As part of the ICS training, he was sent to read literature and history at [[Magdalene College, Cambridge]], England. During the stay, he developed a friendship with [[Choudhary Rahmat Ali]].<ref>Yousaf, Nasim (2003), p. 346.</ref>

Khan married Hameedah Begum (the eldest daughter of [[Allama Mashriqi]]) in 1940. Together, they had three daughters (Mariam, Amina, and Rasheeda) and a son (Akbar). After Hameedah Begum's death in 1966, he married Shafiq Khan and had one daughter, Ayesha.<ref>Yousaf, Nasim (2003), pp. 342–43.</ref> During his ICS career, Khan worked as [[District collector|collector]] of revenue, a position that brought him into regular contact with living conditions in rural areas of [[East Bengal]].<ref>Yousaf, Nasim (2003), p. 347.</ref> The [[Bengal famine of 1943]] and subsequent handling of the situation by the colonial rulers led him to resign from the Indian Civil Service in 1945. He wrote, "I realized that if I did not escape while I was young and vigorous, I will forever remain in the trap, and terminate as a bureaucratic big wig."<ref>Khan (1983), p. xii.</ref> During this period, he was influenced by the philosophy of [[Friedrich Nietzsche|Nietzsche]] and [[Allama Mashriqi|Mashriqi]], and joined the [[Khaksars|Khaksar Movement]]. This attachment was brief. He quit the movement and turned to [[Sufism]].<ref>Hussain, I (2006). ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20090912183723/http://www.dawn.com/weekly/dmag/archive/061224/dmag14.htm "A cause worth serving"]''. ''Dawn Magazine''. 24 December. Retrieved 22 May 2015.</ref> According to Khan, "I had a profound personal concern; I wanted to live a life free from fear and anxiety, a calm and serene life, without turmoil and conflict. ... when I followed the advice of the old Sufis and sages, and tried to curb my greed, my pride and aggression, fears, anxieties and conflicts diminished."<ref>Khan (1996), p. 23.</ref>

For the next two years, Khan worked in Mamoola village near [[Aligarh]] as a labourer and [[locksmith]], an experience that provided him with firsthand knowledge of the problems and issues of rural communities. In 1947, he took up a teaching position at the [[Jamia Millia Islamia|Jamia Millia, Delhi]], where he worked for three years. In 1950, Khan migrated to [[Pakistan]] to teach at [[Islamia Science College (Karachi)|Islamia College, Karachi]]. In the same year, he was invited by the [[Government of Pakistan]] to take charge as [[Principal (university)|Principal]] of [[Comilla Victoria College]] in [[East Pakistan]], a position he held until 1958. During this time (1950–58) he also served as President of the East Pakistan Non-Government Teachers' Association.<ref>Yousaf, Nasim (2003), p. 348.</ref>

==Rural development initiatives==
During his tenure as principal of Comilla Victoria College, Khan developed a special interest in [[grassroots]] actions. Between 1954 and 1955, he took a break to work as director of the Village Agricultural and Industrial Development (V-AID) Programme.<ref>V-AID was a government level attempt to promote citizens participation in the sphere of rural development in East and West Pakistan. It was launched in 1953 with technical assistance from the [[Federal government of the United States|US government]].</ref> However, he was not satisfied with the development approach adopted in the programme that was limited to the training of villagers.<ref>Chaudhuri (1969), p. 316.</ref> In 1958, he went to [[Michigan State University]] to acquire education and training in rural development.<ref>Yousaf, Nasim (2003), p. 349.</ref> Returning in 1959, he established the Pakistan Academy for Rural Development (PARD, eventually renamed as [[Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development]]) at Comilla on 27 May 1959 and was appointed as its founding director.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Stavis |first=Benedict |date=December 1985 |title=Review |journal=Pacific Affairs |publisher=University of British Columbia |volume=58 |issue=4 |pages=727–728 |doi=10.2307/2758513 |jstor=2758513}}</ref> Khan became vice-chairman of the board of Governors of PARD in 1964, and in the same year, was awarded an honorary [[Doctorate of law]] by Michigan State University.<ref>Yousaf, Nasim (2003), pp. 370–74.</ref> In 1969, he established collaborative links with [[Arthur Lewis (economist)|Arthur Lewis]].<ref>Yousaf, Nasim (2003), pp. 350–51.</ref>

==Advisory roles==
Following his move to Pakistan, Khan was asked to implement the Comilla Model in rural settlements of North-West Frontier Province (now [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]), [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], and [[Sindh]]. He declined the offer on the grounds that the proposals were predominantly motivated by political interests rather than the common well-being. However, he continued to advise the authorities on various aspects of rural development, such as participatory irrigation management.<ref name="nrsp">NRSP (2000), pp. 4–6.</ref> He worked as a research fellow at the [[University of Agriculture, Faisalabad]] from 1971 to 1972, and as Director of Rural Economics Research Project at [[Karachi University]] from 1972 to 1973. Khan went to Michigan State University as a visiting professor in 1973 and remained there until 1979. During this time, he carried on advising the Rural Development Academy at [[Bogra]] in northern Bangladesh, and the Pakistan Academy for Rural Development, [[Peshawar]], on the Daudzai Integrated Rural Development Programme.<ref>Yousaf, Nasim (2003), p. 352.</ref> In 1974, he was appointed as a [[World Bank]] consultant to survey rural development situations in [[Java]], Indonesia. He also briefly worked as a visiting professor at [[Lund University]], [[Harvard University]], and the [[University of Oxford]].<ref>Yousaf, Nasim (2003), pp. 352–53.</ref>

In 1980, Khan moved to [[Karachi]] and started working on the improvement of sanitary conditions in Karachi suburbs. He laid the foundations of the [[Orangi Pilot Project]] for the largest [[squatter]] community of [[Orangi]] in the city. He remained associated with this project until his death in 1999. Meanwhile, he maintained his support for rural communities around Karachi, and also helped to develop the [[Aga Khan Rural Support Programme]].<ref name="nrsp" /> OPP became a model for participatory bottom-up development initiatives.<ref>Uphoff, Norman (2001) ''Dr Akhter Hameed Khan: An Appreciation''. Published in Yousaf (2003), pp. 409–13.</ref>

==Major development programmes==

===Comilla Cooperative Pilot Project===
{{Main|Comilla Model}}

The [[Comilla Model]] (1959) was Khan's initiative in response to the failure of a Village Agricultural and Industrial Development (V-AID) programme that was launched in 1953 in East and West Pakistan with technical assistance from the US government. V-AID remained a government-level attempt to promote citizen participation in the sphere of [[rural development]].<ref>Bhuiyan, A.H.A. et al. (May 2005). "Developmentalism as a Disciplinary Strategy in Bangladesh". ''Modern Asian Studies'' Vol. 39, No. 2. pp. 349–368. {{doi|10.1017/S0026749X04001350}} {{JSTOR|3876623}}.</ref> Khan launched the project in 1959 on his return from Michigan,{{citation needed|date=May 2023}} and developed a methodology of implementation in the area of rural development on the principle of grassroots-level participation.<ref>Raper (1970), p. vii.</ref> Initially, the aim was to provide a development model of programmes and institutions that could be replicated across the country. Advisory support in this respect was provided by experts from Harvard and Michigan State Universities, the [[Ford Foundation]], and [[USAID]].<ref>Yousaf, Nasim (2003), pp. 370–71.</ref>

Comilla Model simultaneously addressed the problems that were caused by the inadequacy of both local infrastructure and institutions through a range of integrated programmes.<ref>Khan, A.R. (1979). [http://econpapers.repec.org/article/eeewdevel/v_3A7_3Ay_3A1979_3Ai_3A4-5_3Ap_3A397-422.htm The Comilla model and the integrated rural development programme of Bangladesh: An experiment in `cooperative capitalism']. ''World Development''. Vol. 7, No. 4–5. pp. 397–422. Retrieved 6 May 2008.</ref> The initiatives included the establishment in every thana of: a training and development centre; a road-drainage embankment works programme; a decentralized, small scale irrigation programme; and, a two-tiered cooperative system with primary cooperatives operating in the villages, and federations operating at [[sub-district]] level.<ref>Khan (1983), Vol. II, p. 190.</ref>

After Khan's departure from Comilla, the cooperative's model failed in independent Bangladesh<ref>{{cite journal |last=Karim |first=M. Bazlul |date=December 1985 |title=Rural development projects – Comilla, Puebla, and Chilalo: A comparative assessment |journal=Studies in Comparative International Development |volume=20 |issue=4 |pages=3–41 |doi=10.1007/bf02717354 |s2cid=154209926}}</ref> because only a few occupational groups managed to achieve the desired success.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Huque |first=A. S. |date=April 1995 |title=Development Programs in Bangladesh: Hardware versus Software |journal=Governance |publisher=Blackwell Publishers |volume=8 |issue=2 |pages=281–92 |doi=10.1111/j.1468-0491.1995.tb00210.x}}</ref> By 1979, only 61 of the 400 cooperatives were functioning. The model actually fell prey to the ineffective internal and external controls, stagnation, and diversion of funds.<ref>Chowdhury (1990), p. 54.</ref> However, Khan's leadership skills during the course of his association with the project remained a source of inspiration for these leaders, as well as other participatory development initiatives in the country.<ref>Valsan (2005), p. 49.</ref><ref>
Tahmina, Q.A. (2005) [http://ipsnews.net/note_award.asp?idnews=27134 In Bangladesh, Potters Shape Their Future] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090810065350/http://www.ipsnews.net/note_award.asp?idnews=27134 |date=10 August 2009 }} , World Social Forum. Retrieved 20 March 2010
</ref>

===Orangi Pilot Project===
{{Main|Orangi Pilot Project}}

The Orangi poverty alleviation project (known as the Orangi Pilot Project, or OPP) was initiated by Khan as an NGO in 1980.<ref>NGO Profile (1995), [http://eau.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/7/2/227 Orangi Pilot Project], ''Environment and Urbanization'', Vol. 7, No. 2. pp. 227–37. Retrieved 3 May 2008.</ref> Orangi is located on the northwest periphery of Karachi. At that time, it was the largest of the city's approximately 650 low-income squatter settlements (known as ''katchi abadi''). The locality was first developed in 1963 as a government township of {{convert|5|km2|acre|0}}. The influx of migrants after the creation of Bangladesh swelled the settlement to about one million people crowded over an area of more than {{convert|32|km2|acre|0}}.<ref>WRI (1996). "[https://web.archive.org/web/20100501184808/http://www.wri.org/publication/content/8252 6 City and community: Toward environmental sustainability: Box 6.2 The Orangi Pilot Project, Karachi, Pakistan]" in ''World Resources 1996–97: The urban environment''. World Resources Institute. Retrieved 22 May 2015.</ref> The working class multi-ethnic population was predominantly composed of [[Day labor|day labourers]], [[skilled workers]], [[artisan]]s, small shopkeepers, [[peddler]]s and low-income [[White-collar worker|white collar workers]].<ref>Hasan (1994), p. 152.</ref> The project proved an impetus to the socio-economic development of the population of the area.<ref>Axinn, G.H. (1997). [https://web.archive.org/web/20121014164559/http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/klu/ahum/1997/00000014/00000002 Book Review of Khan (1996)]. ''Agriculture and Human Values'', Vol. 14, No. 2. p. 193. Retrieved 22 May 2015.</ref> As the project director, Khan proved to be a dynamic and innovative leader.<ref name="serendip">A Vision Unveiled (2006) ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20090327032902/http://www.irm.edu.pk/web%20Publications/Report%20AHKRC/2.pdf A posthumous tribute to the man who silently brought about a social revolution in Pakistan.]''. NRSP – Institute of Rural Management. pp. 28–29. Retrieved 5 May 2015.</ref> The project initially focused on creating a system of underground sewers, using local materials and labour, and succeeded in laying hundreds of kilometres of drainage pipes along with auxiliary facilities.<ref name="tte">
TTE (2002). ''[http://www.tve.org/ho/doc.cfm?aid=854 Return Of The Drain Gang – Pakistan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008160542/http://www.tve.org/ho/doc.cfm?aid=854 |date=8 October 2007 }}''. [[Television Trust for the Environment]]. Hands On, Series 3. Retrieved 1 May 2008.
</ref> Within a decade of the initiative, local residents had established schools, health clinics, women's work centres, cooperative stores and a credit organisation to finance enterprise projects.<ref>Barmazel (2005), p. 191.</ref> By 1993, OPP had managed to provide low-cost sewers to more than 72,000 houses.<ref>Sir-Cam (2002) ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20121010215101/http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_23-10-2002_pg3_5 Cam Diary: The common man's friend]''. ''[[Daily Times (Pakistan)|Daily Times]]''. 23 October 2002. Retrieved 22 May 2015.</ref> The project subsequently diversified into a number of programmes, including a people's financed and managed low-cost [[sanitation]] programme;<ref name="tte" /> a housing programme; a [[List of basic health topics|basic health]] and [[family planning]] programme; a programme of [[Microcredit|supervised credit]] for small family enterprise units; an education programme; and a rural development programme in the nearby villages.<ref>Hasan (1996), p. xxiii.</ref>

Comparing the OPP with Comilla project, Akhter Hameed Khan once commented:

<blockquote>The Orangi Pilot Project was very different from the Comilla Academy. OPP was a private body, dependent for its small fixed budget on another NGO. The vast resources and support of the government, Harvard advisors, MSU, and Ford Foundation was missing. OPP possessed no authority, no sanctions. It may observe and investigate but it could only advise, not enforce.<ref name="intro">''[https://web.archive.org/web/20090917182312/http://www.pakistan.gov.pk/divisions/lgrd-division/media/ncrd/intro.html Introduction about Late Dr. Akhter Hameed Khan]'' at [[Government of Pakistan]] website. Retrieved 22 May 2015.</ref></blockquote>

The successful OPP model became an inspiration for other municipalities around the country. In 1999, Khan helped to create [[Lodhran]] Pilot Project (LPP) to collaborate with Lodhran municipal committee. Learning from past experiences, the project extended its scope to the whole town instead of concentrating on low-income settlements only. The municipal partnership was itself a new initiative that ensured wider [[Civic engagement|civic]] co-operation.<ref>Hasan (2002), pp. 199–216.</ref>

The success of OPP did come at a cost for Dr Khan as his liberal views and self-help initiatives were questioned and criticised by certain interest groups. At two occasions, he was accused of blasphemy.<ref name="serendip" /> However, all allegations against him were acquitted by the courts of law and cleared by independent religious scholars.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/ENGASA330081994/ |title=Pakistan: Use and abuse of the blasphemy laws |date=27 July 1994 |publisher=Amnesty International |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070901033942/http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/ENGASA330081994/ |archive-date=1 September 2007 |access-date=19 February 2010}} AI Index: ASA 33/008/1994</ref>

==Death==
In 1999, Khan was visiting his family in the United States when he suffered from [[Renal failure|kidney failure]]. He died of [[myocardial infarction]] on 9 October in [[Indianapolis]] at the age of 85. His body was flown to Karachi on 15 October, where he was buried on the grounds of the OPP office compound.<ref>Yousaf, Nasim (2003), p. 386.</ref>

==Legacy==
Khan's ideology and leadership skills were a source of inspiration for his students and colleagues, and continue to serve as guiding principles even after his death.<ref>Sobhan, R. (2006). ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20090225123125/http://www.irm.edu.pk/Document.pdf Democratizing Development in South Asia: Responding to the Challenge of Globalization]''. [[Dhaka]]: Centre for Policy Dialogue. p. 1. Retrieved 22 May 2015.</ref> Edgar Owens, who became an admirer of Khan's ideology while working at USAID's Asia Bureau, co-authored a book with Robert Shaw as a result of observations and discussions with Khan at Comilla Academy.<ref>Owens, E. and Shaw, R. (1974). ''Development Reconsidered: Bridging the Gap Between Government and People''. Lexington, Massachusetts: Lexington Books. {{ISBN|978-0-669-81729-4}}.</ref> A later study of various rural development experiences from South Asia, edited by Uphoff and Cambell (1983)<ref>Uphoff, N. and Campbell, R. (eds.) (1983). ''Rural Development and Local Organization in Asia'', Vol. I. South Asia. London: Macmillan.</ref> was jointly dedicated to Khan and Owens.<ref>Yousaf, Nasim (2003), pp. 409–10.</ref>

Soon after Khan's death, on 10 April 2000, the Government of Pakistan renamed the National Centre for Rural Development the Akhter Hameed Khan National Centre for Rural Development and Municipal Administration.<ref name="intro" />

Later in 2005, the Council of Social Sciences, Pakistan, in collaboration with the National Rural Support Programme and other institutions, announced the Akhter Hameed Khan Memorial Award.<ref>''{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20071009003159/http://www.cosspak.org/ahk.php Akhter Hameed Khan Memorial Award]}}'' on COSS website. Retrieved 13 April 2008.</ref> The annual cash award is given on Khan's birthday to a [[Demography of Pakistan|Pakistani]] author for a book on issues related to rural and urban development, peace, [[poverty alleviation]], or [[gender discrimination]]. At the occasion of the award ceremony in 2006, a documentary film about the life and times of Akhter Hameed Khan was premiered.<ref>
''[http://www.serendip.tv/akhter.htm A Vision Unveiled] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041015013844/http://www.serendip.tv/akhter.htm |date=15 October 2004 }}'', Premiere of a documentary film on Akhter Hameed Khan by Serendip Production. Retrieved 3 May 2008.
</ref> The film includes archival footage and interviews with family members, colleagues, and contributors and beneficiaries of the Comilla and OPP projects.<ref name="serendip" />

The Akhter Hameed Khan Resource Centre (AHK Resource Center)was established in [[Islamabad]], under the auspices of the Institute of Rural Management, as a repository of published and digital resources on rural development.<ref>''[https://web.archive.org/web/20090917051404/http://www.irm.edu.pk/ahkrc-new/default.asp AHK Resource Centre]''. [http://www.irm.edu.pk/ NRSP – Institute of Rural Management]. Retrieved 22 May 2015.</ref> The Akhter Hameed Khan Resource Center was initially formed in 2010 as a repository of works and writings by Khan and his mentee Shoaib Sultan Khan; after 2015 the resource center transitioned into an NGO that established an experimental site in urban development in Dhok Hassu, Rawalpindi.<ref>[http://resdev.org/files/policy_brief/48/Policy%20Brief%2048%20-%20Second%20year%20of%20Urban%20Lab.pdf The Urban Laboratory: One Year on], AHJ Resource Center. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928192448/http://www.resdev.org/files/policy_brief/48/Policy%20Brief%2048%20-%20Second%20year%20of%20Urban%20Lab.pdf |date=28 September 2020 }}.</ref>

==Awards and honours==
Khan received the following civil awards:
* Jinnah Award ([[Posthumous recognition|Posthumous]], 2004) for services to people as founder of the Orangi Pilot Project.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ishrat Hussain, late Akhter Hameed honoured |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/190175/karachiishrat-hussain-late-akhtar-hameed-honoured |newspaper=Dawn |date=1 May 2006 |access-date=25 April 2008}}</ref>
* [[Nishan-e-Imtiaz]] (Posthumous, 2001) for services to the community.<ref name="shoaib">Khan, S. S. (2006). ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20080529082956/http://www.irm.edu.pk/web%20Publications/Report%20AHKRC/2.pdf Dr. Akhter Hameed Khan Memorial Lecture]'' (PDF). pp. 15–27. Retrieved 4 November 2015.</ref>
* [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]] (31 August 1963, [[Manila]], [[Philippines]]) for services to rural development.<ref>Ramon Magsaysay Award (1963) ''[http://www.rmaf.org.ph/Awardees/Citation/CitationKhanAkh.htm Citation for Akhter Hameed Khan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312002925/http://www.rmaf.org.ph/Awardees/Citation/CitationKhanAkh.htm |date=12 March 2007 }}''. 31 August 1963, Manila, Philippines. Retrieved 1 May 2008.</ref>
* [[Sitara-e-Pakistan]] (1961) for pioneering work in rural development.<ref name="miah">{{cite book |last=Miah |first=Sajahan |year=2012 |chapter=Khan, Akhter Hameed |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Khan,_Akhter_Hameed |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref>

==Publications==
Khan was fluent in Arabic, [[Bengali language|Bengali]], English, [[Hindi]], [[Pali]], [[Persian language|Persian]], and [[Urdu]].<ref name="miah" /><ref>Hasan (1996), p. xii.</ref> He wrote several reports and monographs, mostly relating to rural development in general or his various successful and model initiatives in particular. He also published collections of poems and [[Travel literature|travelogues]] in Urdu.

===In English===
* 1956, ''[https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bengal-Reminiscences-Akhter-Hameed-Khan/dp/B005Z4PB4G Bengal Reminances, vol 1, 2 & 3]''. Comilla Academy (now the Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development), Comilla, Bangladesh.
* 1965, ''Rural Development in East Pakistan, Speeches By Akhter Hameed Khan''. Asian Studies Center, Michigan State University.
* 1974, ''Institutions for rural development in Indonesia'', Pakistan Academy for Rural Development. Karachi.
* 1985, ''Rural development in Pakistan''. Vanguard Books. Lahore.
* 1994, ''What I learnt in Comilla and Orangi''. Paper presented at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation ([[SAARC]]) seminar. [[Islamabad]].
* 1996, ''Orangi Pilot Project: Reminiscences and Reflections''. The Oxford University Press: Karachi. (editions: 1996, 1999, 2005). {{ISBN|978-0-19-597986-2}}
* 1997 ''[http://www.unicef.org/pon97/water1.htm The sanitation gap: Development's deadly menace] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181216031300/https://www.unicef.org/pon97/water1.htm |date=16 December 2018 }}''. [http://www.unicef.org/pon97/mainmenu.htm The Progress of Nations] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190108165933/https://www.unicef.org/pon97/mainmenu.htm |date=8 January 2019 }}. [[UNICEF]].
* 1998, Community-Based Schools and the Orangi Project. In Hoodbhoy, P (ed.), ''Education and the State: Fifty Years of Pakistan'', Chapter 7, Karachi: Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-19-577825-0}}
* 2000, ''Twenty Weeks in America: A Diary, 3 September 1969 – 21 January 1970''. Translated from [[Urdu]] by Aqila Ismail. City Press. {{ISBN|969-8380-32-9}}

===In Urdu===
* 1972, ''Safar-e-Amrika ki Diary'' (A Diary of Travels in America). The City Press: Karachi. 2nd Edition: Atlantis Publications, Karachi 2017.
* 1988, ''Chiragh aur Kanwal'' (Collection of poems in Urdu). Saad Publishers. Karachi.

==See also==
* [[Civil society]]
* [[Social entrepreneurship]]
* [[Social innovation]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==References==
{{Refbegin}}
* Abadi, H. (2006). ''Dr. Akhter Hameed Khan''. Karachi: [[Oxford University Press]]. {{ISBN|978-0-19-547205-9}} {{in lang|ur}}
* Barmazel, S. (2005). "Orangi Pilot Project: An NGO Helping to Build Community" in O.P. Richmond and H.F. Carey (eds.) ''Subcontracting Peace: The Challenges of NGO Peacebuilding''. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing. pp. 191–98. {{ISBN|0-7546-4058-2}}
* Chowdhury, A.N. (1990). ''Let Grassroots Speak: People's Participation Self-Help Groups and NGO's in Bangladesh''. Dhaka: South Asia Books. {{ISBN|978-81-85054-79-7}}
* Chaudhuri, M.A. (1969). ''Rural Government in East Pakistan''. Dhaka: Puthighar Ltd.
* Hasan, A. (1994). "Replicating the Low-Cost Sanitation Programme Administered by the Orangi Pilot Project in Karachi, Pakistan" in I. Serageldin, M.A. Cohen, and K.C. Sivaramakrishnan (eds.) ''The Human Face of the Urban Environment, Proceedings of the Second Annual World Bank Conference on Environmentally Sustainable Development''. (19–21 September). Washington, D.C.: The World Bank. {{ISBN|0-8213-3320-8}}
* Hasan, A. (1996). "Introduction" in A.H. Khan ''Orangi Pilot Project: Reminiscences and Reflections''. Karachi: Oxford University Press. pp. xi–xli. {{ISBN|0-19-597986-9}}
* Hasan, A. (1999). ''Akhter Hameed Khan and the Orangi Pilot Project''. Karachi: City Press. {{ISBN|969-8380-20-5}}
* Hasan, A. (2002). "A model for government-community partnership in building sewage systems for urban areas: The experiences of the OPP-RTI". ''Water Science and Technology'' Vol. 45, No. 8, pp. 199–216.
* Khan, A.H. (1996). ''Orangi Pilot Project: Reminiscences and Reflections''. Karachi: Oxford University Press. (editions: 1996, 1999, 2005). {{ISBN|978-0-19-597986-2}}
* Khan, A. H. (1983). ''The Works of Akhter Hameed Khan''. Volumes I-II Comilla: Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development. {{OCLC|15632098}}
* Nigam, A. and Rasheed, S. (1998). "Financing of Fresh Water for All: A Rights Based Approach" in ''UNICEF Staff Working Papers''. Evaluation, Policy and Planning Series, No. EPP-EVL-98-003.
* NRSP (2000). ''In commemoration of The Life and Times of Akhter Hameed Khan: Talks of Akhter Hameed Khan at the National Rural Support Programme''. Islamabad: [http://www.nrsp.org.pk/ National Rural Support Programme (NRSP).]
* Raper, A.F. (1970). ''Rural Development in Action: The Comprehensive Experiment at Comilla, East Pakistan''. Ithaca: [[Cornell University Press]]. {{ISBN|0-8014-0570-X}}
* Valsan, E.H. (2005). "Leadership in Public Administration for Alleviating Poverty and Development: A Conceptual Approach", in J. Jabes (ed.) ''The Role of Public Administration in Alleviating Poverty and Improving Governance'', NAPSIPAG. Manila: [[Asian Development Bank]]. {{ISBN|978-971-561-595-2}}
* Yousaf, Nasim (2003). ''Allama Mashriqi and Dr. Akhtar Hameed Khan: Two Legends of Pakistan''. New York: Xlibris. {{ISBN|978-1401090975}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20071009003159/http://www.cosspak.org/ahk.php Akhter Hameed Khan Memorial Award]}}, at {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070320070514/http://www.cosspak.org/ Council of Social Sciences (COSS) website]}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20151119190323/http://ahkrc.net.pk/ AHK Resource Centre and Digital Library]
* [http://www.irm.edu.pk/index.php/akhtar-hameed-khan/?album=1&gallery=1 AHK Photo Gallery] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160114230534/http://www.irm.edu.pk/index.php/akhtar-hameed-khan/?album=1&gallery=1 |date=14 January 2016 }} at [http://www.irm.edu.pk/ Institute of Rural Management (IRM) website]
* {{YouTube|izaKVkgzuuo|Talk given by Akhter Hameed Khan}}

{{Pakistani Ramon Magsaysay Award Laureates |state=expanded}}
{{Ramon Magsaysay Award Winners}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Akhter Hameed}}
[[Category:1914 births]]
[[Category:1999 deaths]]
[[Category:Development specialists]]
[[Category:Alumni of Magdalene College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:Academics from Karachi]]
[[Category:Recipients of Nishan-e-Imtiaz]]
[[Category:Recipients of Hilal-i-Imtiaz]]
[[Category:Pakistani cooperative organisers]]
[[Category:Microfinance people]]
[[Category:Muhajir people]]
[[Category:Pakistani Sunni Muslims]]
[[Category:Ramon Magsaysay Award winners]]
[[Category:Michigan State University alumni]]
[[Category:People from Agra]]
[[Category:Fellows of Pakistan Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:20th-century Pakistani economists]]
[[Category:Academic staff of Comilla Victoria Government College]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sitara-e-Pakistan]]
[[Category:Squatter leaders]]
[[Category:Squatting in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Pakistani human rights activists]]
[[Category:Indian Civil Service (British India) officers]]
[[Category:Scientists from Karachi]]
[[Category:Activists from Karachi]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to Pakistan]]

Akhtar Hameed Khan - Revision history

GabrielaPreiss at 02:13, 30 April 2026