Lest we forget

It was Friday afternoon, the 21st of September, 2007. I had just finished saying my Jumma prayer and was having a chat with my sister at her house in DOHS Baridhara. Suddenly, the telephone started ringing. It was a call from Almaty, Kazakhistan. My heart started pumping wildly as I answered the phone, and after hearing the voice on the other end, I expected bad news. I held my breath for a while, and my worst fear came true.

The news of the sudden death of our beloved brother, Dr Sadrel Amin Latifur Reza, popularly known as Reza Sir to his students, was conveyed to me. He had died of acute cardiac arrest, alone in his apartment, in Almaty, where he had gone to teach economics at a local university. He was only 65.

Death had carried him to a long distance – where he died a lonely death, without his dear ones nearby, and most shockingly, without any medical care. Sometimes, he used to joke with us saying his heart was that of a 25-year-old-man. “So, I won’t die of heart attack,” he would assure us.

Alas, he died of a heart ailment.

A man who had dedicated all his life to teaching economics and doing research, died unnoticed in a far away country.

As a brother, he was very loving to me. To his friends, he was equally caring and pleasant. He was highly respected by his students and was easily approachable. Though I was not one of his student in the Economics Department of Dhaka University, I always got his support and affection throughout my student life and thereafter.

Dr Reza had a brilliant academic and professional record. He graduated with a first class in Economics from Dhaka University. He then did his Masters in from the University of Manchester, and Ph.D from Sussex University in the UK.

A popular teacher, he taught Economics at Dhaka University for more than 35 years. Besides, he served as director general of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS). He also worked at the Asia Pacific Development Centre in Malaysia, before joining the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Tokyo.

It was sheer agony for us to come to terms with the news of his sudden death, especially when it occurred thousands of miles away. Things were compounded till his dead body arrived after about a week.

I was asked by my eldest brother to write Dr Reza’s obituary so it could be printed in newspapers for the information of all concerned. It was a painful task. Tears rolled down my cheeks and I became emotional. My older brother took the paper from me and finished the job. I want to write my own obituary in advance so that others do not have to go through the same emotional torment.

Dr Reza was a very simple man. He was calm and quiet and never sought publicity. To his friends and students, he was a gem of a person and always extended his helping hand to others.

He will never come back to us.

Let us pray to Almighty Allah that his soul rests in peace.

The writer is a retired director general of Export Promotion Bureau.

 

Lest we forget

It was Friday afternoon, the 21st of September, 2007. I had just finished saying my Jumma prayer and was having a chat with my sister at her house in DOHS Baridhara. Suddenly, the telephone started ringing. It was a call from Almaty, Kazakhistan. My heart started pumping wildly as I answered the phone, and after hearing the voice on the other end, I expected bad news. I held my breath for a while, and my worst fear came true. The news of the sudden death of our beloved brother, Dr Sadrel Amin Latifur Reza, popularly known as Reza Sir to his students, was conveyed to me. He had died of acute cardiac arrest, alone in his apartment, in Almaty, where he had gone to teach economics at a local university. He was only 65. Death had carried him to a long distance where he died a lonely death, without his dear ones nearby, and most shockingly, without any medical care. Sometimes, he used to joke with us saying his heart was that of a 25-year-old-man. So, I wont die of heart attack, he would assure us. Alas, he died of a heart ailment. A man who had dedicated all his life to teaching economics and doing research, died unnoticed in a far away country. As a brother, he was very loving to me. To his friends, he was equally caring and pleasant. He was highly respected by his students and was easily approachable. Though I was not one of his student in the Economics Department of Dhaka University, I always got his support and affection throughout my student life and thereafter. Dr Reza had a brilliant academic and professional record. He graduated with a first class in Economics from Dhaka University. He then did his Masters in from the University of Manchester, and Ph.D from Sussex University in the UK. A popular teacher, he taught Economics at Dhaka University for more than 35 years. Besides, he served as director general of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS). He also worked at the Asia Pacific Development Centre in Malaysia, before joining the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Tokyo. It was sheer agony for us to come to terms with the news of his sudden death, especially when it occurred thousands of miles away. Things were compounded till his dead body arrived after about a week. I was asked by my eldest brother to write Dr Rezas obituary so it could be printed in newspapers for the information of all concerned. It was a painful task. Tears rolled down my cheeks and I became emotional. My older brother took the paper from me and finished the job. I want to write my own obituary in advance so that others do not have to go through the same emotional torment. Dr Reza was a very simple man. He was calm and quiet and never sought publicity. To his friends and students, he was a gem of a person and always extended his helping hand to others. He will never come back to us. Let us pray to Almighty Allah that his soul rests in peace. The writer is a retired director general of Export Promotion Bureau.