Rezz

Mr. Habibur Rahman, former Charge de Affairs of Bangladesh in Afghanistan, passed away in a London hospital on Friday, the 14th of October 2005. At the time of his death he was 69. He left behind his wife Ferdous Rahman, two daughters, one son and a host of relatives and friends to mourn his death.

Mr. Rahman was born in a respectable family of Gopalpur, Tangail district. He graduated from Jagannath College and later did his Masters from Dhaka University. He was elected General Secretary of Salimullah Muslim Hall in 1957. With many of his contemporaries he was so popular that most of them called him "Habib Bhai" as a mark of warm respect.

After leaving the University he left for London and pursued higher studies. Thereafter he joined the then Embassy of Pakistan as Education Officer. In this capacity he rendered enormous services to help the students from East Pakistan who studied in various Universities and Inns. Many of the Scholars and Barristers of Bangladesh today recall those days of UK with utmost gratitude to Mr. Rahman without whose personal intervention many of them possibly could not complete their studies.

In 1971 he was deeply associated with Justice Abu Sayeed Chowdhury in his mission to lobby abroad the cause of Bangladesh and raise funds for the Liberation War. When Bangladesh came into being he joined the Bangladesh High Commission in London as Third Secretary. He retired as Charge de Affairs of Bangladesh in Afghanistan when the country was under siege by Russia.

After retirement Mr. Rahman devoted himself to social work and rural development. With single-handed efforts he set up a primary school in his village. Within a span of five years the school was converted to a high school. Through Mr. Rahman's guidance and supervision the school is run very professionally. This year's SSC results more than proved this point. The Secondary Board of Education has recognised the school and it gets monthly grants from the government.