There was something eerie about the way people organised fare-well parties for Rezaul and Salma on the eve of their departure from Dhaka. Of course, they were very popular in Dhaka's social circle, immensely well-liked, but their imminent temporary departure from Dhaka was not really a big deal. It was expected that their friends and acquaintances, whom they were saying Khuda-Hafez would be seeing them quite often, either in Dhaka or in Cairo, and Karims would be maintaining their establishment in Dhaka where their recently-widowed daughter Seema and the only surviving son Shahed would continue to live. Indeed, having known the pressure they underwent for allocating time to willing fare-well party-throwers, Nagina and I were delighted when they could with great efforts, of which I am aware of, schedule an evening for us. There was really a competition among their innumerable friends to organise good-bye gatherings, and strangely enough, we discussed, albeit jokingly, about the situation.

Rezaul Karim was a greatly successful diplomat and a politician, an enlightened well-educated person with multifarious talents and extensive interests, and above all, a most distinguished gentleman. My earliest recollections date back to the late fifties when I approached him as the General Secretary of Dhaka University Economics Association, to address a seminar. He had left Dhaka University Economics Department to do his Masters at the renowned Karachi Institute of Public Administration. Karim obliged, and I still remember the impressive participation of this well-dressed handsome young gentleman.

In our career pattern, we initially took different lines and didn't meet very often, though I kept on hearing about him from all my three diplomat brothers, who always spoke very highly of the qualities of his head and heart. Masum and Iftekhar were close to him, and Faruq Chowdhury, in spite of belonging to a different political persuasion, continued to remain his life-long pal, joined by inseparable bonds of warm friendship.

This was the beauty of Rezaul Karim's character. He was accommodative, tolerant, soft-spoken, witty and keen on discovering the highest common factors in others, so that bridges of friendship could develop, with all he would come in touch. He was always very pleasant and dignified. Normal irritations, and even unfriendly encounters could not ruffle him. He knew how to remain calm, self-possessed and unagitated in adverse and provoking situations. All these qualities, and many more, contributed to the making of MM Rezaul Karim as a very successful diplomat. He had Ambassadorial assignments in six or seven countries, as divergent as UK and China, Russia and Sri Lanka, Iraq and Iran. And everywhere his performance was superb. He established our first diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia and UK. Only recently, five days before his death, the government of Russian Federation conferred on him Insignia of Honour as a mark of recognition of his contribution to the strengthening of the bilateral relations. As I was another recipient of this honour, I was, as a matter of fact, drafting a letter to him on this occasion when I got the news of his sudden death.

He was a principled person, not given to usual prevalent practice of floating along the tide for the sake of obtaining benefits or accommodation. He kept on addressing Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as "Bangabandhu," and never hesitated to convey his respect and admiration for the person he once proudly welcomed as the first Mission Chief in London on January 10, 1972. He contimed to do so even as an Adviser to the Chairperson of BNP, only to prove that qualities of tolerance and goodwill need not really be sacrificed at the alter of short-sighted ill-conceived self-interest and narrow parochialism.

Rezaul Karim was a person with great zest for life -- joi d' vivre -- a man with a passion for seeking pleasure and perfection in the diverse avenues that he trod on. He had a wealth of experience, was a good conversationalist and it was always such a great pleasure talking to him. He was meticulous in making arrangements of all sorts of events. I recall that once I visited him in Beijing where he was posted as Ambassador. I was in UN-ESCAP those days and was accompanying Under Secretary General late SAMS Kibria. Mr. and Mrs. Rezaul Karim hosted a dinner for us. As usual it was a superb one, attended by many Chinese dignitaries. While driving back to our hotel Mr. Kibria commented "Wasn't it great? Everything was so nice and correct." Yes, warm but not over-flowing.

Karim knew exactly what he was doing. As an Ambassador of a member country, he was welcoming a high powered UN-delegation. Appropriateness was a consideration he never sacrificed. His successful role as the Chairman of the Organising Committee of last year's International Film Festival in Dhaka was widely appreciated and acclaimed.

A prolific columnist and author of many books, Rezaul Karim maintained effective interest in so many areas, only God knows, how. He was a keen social worker, an eminent Rotarian and participated in many activities connected with mitigation of poverty and spread of education. Culturally conscious, he never failed to engage himself in relevant pursuits. A linguist, he was looking forward to brushing up his Arabic while in Cairo. He was President of the Commonwealth Association of Bangladesh. Only about a week before his departure from Dhaka he chaired a long meeting at Hotel da Vinci to revise and finally adopt the Constitution of the Association. The farewell dinner organised by the Association to bid him good-bye was attended by many leaders from all sides of the political divide and by several Ambassadors. It was a rare happening in Dhaka, and everyone spoke so well of him. He as such was a great unifying force.

Mr. Rezaul Karim experienced a few tragedies in recent years in his personal life. Otherwise also, he had various reason to feel deprived and shocked. Yet he never felt lost, disheartened or frustrated. Suave as the was, he maintained his composure all through, and his indomitable will and fortitude, under all circumstances, kept up glowing the light of hope and optimism.

And I recall his ever-pleasant countenance in the golf-course. He was consistent and considerate, and a failed shot never led him to seek an excuse or to lose his temper. "In little proportions we just beauties see," and indeed, in the humdrum of everyday life one could see the real Rezaul Karim, resplendent with the charms and refinements of his character.

Our society, our politics, our intellectual arena will be much poorer without him. But Rezaul Bhai, all those who have had the privilege of knowing you would fondly cherish your memory all their lives.

Enam A Chaudhury is Chairman, Privatisation Commission and an Advisor to Chairperson BNP.