Abul Fateh

Abul Fateh
Black-and-white photo of the head and shoulders of a middle-aged man. Brown skin, receding hairline, short dark hair. He is wearing a suit and looking at the camera with a calm but determined expression.
Abul Fateh as Calcutta High Commissioner in 1969
Born(1924-05-16)16 May 1924
Kishoreganj, Bengal Province, British India, Now Kishoreganj District, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Died4 December 2010(2010-12-04) (aged 86)
London, England
NationalityBritish Bangladeshi
CitizenshipUnited Kingdom, Bangladesh
EducationEnglish literature
Alma materAnanda Mohan College
University of Dhaka
Graduate Institute of International Studies
London School of Economics
Occupation(s)Career diplomat and ambassador for Bangladesh and before that for Pakistan.
Known forFirst Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh and its most senior diplomat and before that Founder and inaugural Director of Pakistan's Foreign Service of Pakistan.
Spouse
Mahfuza Banu
​
(m. 1956)​
Children2 sons, including Eenasul Fateh

Abul Fateh (Bengali: আবুল ফতেহ; 16 May 1924 – 4 December 2010)[1][2] was a Bangladeshi diplomat, statesman and Sufi[3] who was one of the founding fathers of South Asian diplomacy after the Second World War, having been the founder and inaugural Director of Pakistan's Foreign Service Academy[3] and subsequently becoming Bangladesh's first Foreign Secretary when it gained its independence in 1971. He was Bangladesh's senior-most diplomat both during the 'Liberation War' period of its Mujibnagar administration as well as in peacetime.

A former Carnegie Fellow in International Peace and Rockefeller Foundation Scholar and Research Fellow,[3] he has been described as "soft-spoken and scholarly" and "a lesson for all diplomats".[4]

Exceptionally for a Bengali-born diplomat, he rose to the most senior ranks of public service in Pakistan.[4] Then at the time Bangladesh began seeking independence, he spectacularly defected and changed sides to support the fledgling country of Bangladesh – a major propaganda coup and morale boost for the cause of Bangladeshi liberation given his stature in Pakistan's hierarchy.[5][6] Abul Fateh was automatically the highest-ranked and most senior foreign service officer in the new country. His story was later documented in a National Geographic documentary, Running for Freedom.[1][7]

Following his death he was described by a former colleague and successor Foreign Secretary as "a great and brave freedom fighter" who was at the same time "remarkably reticent about his contributions", a "soft-spoken and scholarly diplomat" whose service to the Bangladeshi independence cause at a critical period was "invaluable" and "a lesson for all diplomats. His outstanding professional skill and deep sense of patriotism should be a shining example".[4] The Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Dipu Moni talked about his "contribution to self-right movements of people, country's independence struggle and managing assistance to war-ravaged country after independence."[8] She also cited his "outstanding career", stating that he would be "always remembered for his contribution to the country's liberation" war.[9]

Although rarely in the public eye, Abul Fateh was a distinguished figure in the history of post-Second World War, post-colonial diplomacy, a public servant who was a leading light behind the scenes within the Developing World and Non Aligned Conference, including the Commonwealth, with a significant tour of duty in Washington D.C. at the height of the Cold War. In the West too Abul Fateh came to be held in the highest regard, a rare joint U.S./U.K. intelligence assessment remarking in 1977 that he was: "very able, highly intelligent, moderate, easy to deal with, and well informed".[citation needed]

At the launch of his university's South Asia Centre in 2015, the President and Director of the London School of Economics Professor Craig Calhoun included Abul Fateh in a list of a dozen public figures of the 20th century who he felt represented "the greatest fruits" of the "close mutual relations between South Asia and the LSE".[10]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference bdnews24.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "First foreign secy Fateh passes away". The Daily Star. 5 December 2010. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  3. ^ a b c "WikiLeaks expose: Bangladesh". bdnews24.com. 18 December 2010. Archived from the original on 23 December 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  4. ^ a b c Ali, Syed Muazzem (9 December 2010). "Passing Away of a Brave Freedom Fighter". The Independent. Dhaka. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  5. ^ "Rethink telephone tapping". New Age. 13 December 2005. Archived from the original (editorial) on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 17 August 2007.
  6. ^ "Fundamentalism rises as war heroes are ignored". Daily Star. 7 April 2006. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 17 August 2007.
  7. ^ "Running for Freedom (2003)". RivercourtProductions. 2003. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011.
  8. ^ "FM condoles death of Abul Fateh". The Financial Express. Dhaka. 9 December 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  9. ^ "FM condoles death of Abul Fateh". BanglaNews24. 5 December 2010. Archived from the original on 1 January 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  10. ^ "A History and Future of Engagement - News - South Asia Centre - Home". www.lse.ac.uk. Retrieved 18 May 2016.