RIYADH, 14 August 2005 — Sri Lankan expatriates in the Kingdom were shocked yesterday when they heard about the death of the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.
The Sri Lankan Embassy here and its Consulate General in Jeddah flew their national flags at half mast as a mark of respect to the dead leader. The two missions have opened condolence books at their premises from 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. from today through Wednesday.
The island’s ambassador, A.M.J. Sadiq, said that in Kadirgamar, Sri Lanka had lost a noble son and a true patriot, and the world had lost an international statesman par excellence. “He spearheaded a vigorous campaign against international terrorism and paid the supreme price in the service of his nation,” the envoy said.
“He was a man of conviction who stood by his country in its good and bad times. Kadirgamar was a great statesman who was respected by the world for his diplomacy and candor,” Bangladesh Ambassador Ikramul Haque told Arab News.
Describing Kadirgamar’s demise as “an irreparable loss to the nation,” Masihudeen Inamullah, Sri Lankan consul general, said: “He was a gentleman in politics whose wisdom and knowledge have brought fame to the country. He was our pride.” His contributions and services to the country will be fondly remembered by every right-thinking Sri Lankan.
Former Minister of Islamic Affairs Abdul Hameed Mohamed Azwer, who is currently in the Kingdom on a private visit, told Arab News that the nation has lost a great intellectual, statesman and ardent fighter against terror. Azwer, who had met Kadirgamar before his departure to the Kingdom, said the late minister wished him safe journey to the holy city of Makkah and also instructed the missions in the Kingdom to extend all courtesies during his stay in the Kingdom.
“It was an unmitigated tragedy,” Saifudeen Thassim, assistant general manager of the SAMBA Financial Group, said. “He was a man highly respected by all members of the community,” Thassim said, adding that the island will miss his intellectual contributions to the development of the country.
Registering his deepest sympathies to the family members of the deceased minister, the president of the Sri Lankan Expatriates in Riyadh, A.S.M. Illyas, said it was an irrevocable loss to the whole nation. “His contributions to Sri Lanka will be written in golden letters in the annals of the island,” he added.