Faruq Ahmed Choudhury: A consummate diplomat

Ambassador Faruq Ahmed Choudhury, more popularly known as Faruq bhai to scores of his friends and admirers, passed away on May 17, this year. A man larger than life and a fighter to the last, he defied the odds as long as his robust mind would let him. But, as is inevitable, death had the final say. A product of University of Dhaka the 1950s, Faruq Ahmed Choudhury joined the Pakistan Foreign Service back in 1956 and was one of the two Bengalis to do so that year. That was the time when one could join the elite group only through the strength of one's merit.

During his almost four decades of service as a professional diplomat with wide experience to his credit, Faruq Choudhury was one of those few who had earned the admiration and respect of his seniors and juniors alike. While his seniors knew that Faruq could be counted on to deliver when tasked to do so, his juniors found comfort in the knowledge that when needed, Ambassador Faruq Choudhury was always there to protect, counsel and guide. In the pre-Independence days, he had served in Rome, Beijing, The Hague and Algiers.

A patriot to the core, Ambassador Faruq Ahmed Choudhury had been deeply involved in promoting and projecting the foreign policy goals of Bangladesh from the very moment of the country's birth. His consummate skill was manifest wherever he went, be it in London as the Deputy High Commissioner, or as Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, and Brussels and the EU, or as the Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh, and lastly as High Commissioner to India. It remains an enduring testimony to his skill that as the Chief Coordinator while hosting the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (ICFM) in 1983 and subsequently the 7th SAARC Summit in 1994, both in Dhaka, he undertook the responsibilities as a challenge and delivered a product that one could be rightly proud of. He did so with the calm and composure that was so typical of him. While engaging an adversary, Faruq Choudhury demonstrated the highest levels of professionalism and tact, his strongest tools being his ubiquitous charm and ready wit. Faruq Ahmed Choudhury embodied the finest traits of a diplomat.

Following his retirement from government service in 1992, Faruq Choudhury invoked his enviable skills as a writer and as a columnist. His twelve books and periodic columns, all in Bengali, drew high reviews, both because of what he wrote and how he wrote them. His eloquence was pervasive. An intrepid traveller, he never tired of discovering a new place.

Faruq Ahmed Choudhury was a complete family man. A loving husband to his partner for life, the graceful Zeena Choudhury, a caring father to their two wonderful children Adnan and Farzana, he was always there when his family, even the extended family, needed his support. 

Ambassador Faruq Ahmed Choudhury, the good man, loved life and he lived it to the full. As he now steps into the other half of eternity, we pray that his soul rests in peace and may the Almighty grant him place among His chosen ones.

The writer is a former Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh.