Barrister Ali Kaiser Hasan Morshed, a former foreign secretary, passed away on Thursday, November 23. He was the son of late KG Morshed and late Zuleikha Morshed, and husband of late Suraiya Morshed. He is survived by his children Waleed, Lamiya and Fazeela.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen expressed deep shock and sorrow over his death.

In a condolence message, the foreign minister said, "Ambassador Kaiser Morshed was a dignified gentleman. It is very rare for a person as exceptionally knowledgeable and humble as him. "

Besides being a professional diplomat, Dr Momen said in his condolence message that ambassador Morshed was also well known as a lawyer.

The foreign minister prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family members.

Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus expressed deep condolences on his death.

He said, "It is with deep sorrow that I extend my heartfelt condolences on the demise of Ali Kaiser Hasan Morshed.

"It is a personal loss to me. We became very close because his daughter Lamiya Morshed is the Executive Director of Yunus Centre. Lamiya and her other siblings grew up together as children of a diplomat living in different parts of the world throughout their growing up period. Their parents were the only anchor for them in the quickly changing locations and schools, languages, and customs. Their world revolved around their parents. Their parents were their true home."

"Morshed, renowned for his roles at the great institutions such as the University of Oxford and Harvard Law School, leaves behind a profound legacy of accomplishment and service. His contributions to society and dedicated service to Bangladesh in various diplomatic roles stand as a testament to a life devoted to building international relationships with Bangladesh and promoting peace."

"His diplomatic role was a challenging one. He was representing his country which was just born. Nobody even heard the name of the country before. It was challenging task to introduce yourself and your country and build a strong and meaningful relationship under such circumstances. Wherever he served in whatever capacity, including in the capacity of the head of the ministry of foreign affairs he left a significant mark for the future generations of Bangladesh diplomats."

"In his death we lost a close friend, deep philosopher, a devoted monitor of the well-being of the people at the bottom," he added.

Ali Kaiser Hasan Morshed was an honorary bachelor of science from the University of Oxford. In 1956 he began studying law and became a Master of Laws at Harvard Law School in 1958. In 1966 he became a member of Lincoln's Inn and practised as a barrister . In 1957 he joined the foreign service of the Republic of Pakistan and was posted in Brussels, Belgrade, Tokyo and Canberra. After the birth of Bangladesh, he served as Deputy High Commissioner for Bangladesh in Canberra from 1971 to 1972.

From July 1972 to October 1976, he was Director General in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka. From October 1976 to April 1979, he was Ambassador of Bangladesh in Brasília, and from May 1979 to July 1982, Ambassador to Bonn.

From 1982 to 1984, he was the Permanent Representative of the Government of Bangladesh to the United Nations Office at Geneva. From 1984 to 1986 he was a permanent secretary of state in the Foreign Ministry. From 1986 to 1988 he was ambassador in Berlin and was at the same time accredited to Prague. He retired in 1989 and served as chairman of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies until 1997.