Abdur Raquib Khandaker

With profound sadness and a heavy heart I am writing about the demise of Abdur Raquib Khandaker, popularly known as "Raquib Bhai" to his innumerable friends and admirers. He breathed his last on August 26 at Bangkok where he had gone for treatment of foot infection.
A very lively and caring soul, Mr. Khandaker was markedly cheerful and in good spirits during his last days. This was commendable for he was physically uncomfortable due to a near fatal accident that he met in 1974 while on duty. Such adversity could not dampen his determination and he went past all odds of public life to become the Inspector General of Bangladesh Police, the top job in the department.
Abdur Raquib Khandaker enjoyed being a law enforcement practitioner and was visibly proud in donning a uniform. He was an economics graduate from Dhaka University and serving as lecturer, Notre Dame College (his own alma-mater) when he was appointed to the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) in 1956 after passing the competitive exam.
Raquib Khandaker was one of those nearly extinct breed of public servants who, despite being good at studies, also excelled as star sportsmen of their times. He had the enviable distinction of being a Dhaka University Blue. He played in the first division football league in Dhaka and was a sprinter of considerable repute. His interest in sports did not wane with the passage of time and no wonder he graced the position of the president of Bangladesh Football Federation from 1976 to 1986.
One sterling personality trait for which Raquib Khandaker will be remembered for long by his admirers and associates was his raw courage in facing adverse situations. As Superintendent of Police, greater Khulna District in 1971 he displayed admirable guts and fortitude in tackling the arrogant non-local population and the frighteningly antagonistic Pakistan army detachments. His tact and presence of mind saved the lives of scores of Bengali policemen.
Raquib Khandaker could remain cool under very unsettling and unstable law and order situations. His associates refer to a particularly interesting fact of November 1987. When Dhaka city was experiencing a serious order crisis the commanders in the police control room decided to measure their blood pressure. Upon examination, everybody's pressure displayed abnormal flow while Raquib Khandaker's reading was 130/80.
Late Raquib Khandaker was a caring colleague and a ready sight of comfort for those in disconcerting situations. As DIG of Rajshahi range he went to the unusual extent of prolonging his stay at Rangpur only to help the uneasy district superintendent to attend a border conference in India in a peaceful mind.
Raquib Khandaker was fond of eating, and talking to people of different shades. He would often relish telling everybody about the delicacies of old Dhaka food like nehari and bakhar khani and their origin. He would love to tell stories and narrate anecdotes in a typical Dhakaiya style to his attentive listeners.
As Police Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolis, Raquib Khandaker made an impression on many because he had such wide-ranging contacts in Dhaka city, where he spent a large part of his eventful life. His contacts and references in different parts of Dhaka city made the onerous task of crime prevention substantially easy for many field level officials.
Late Raquib Khandaker was a handsome man with a physically tough exterior, but was gifted with a soft and caring heart that enquired about the welfare of many. Public servants, both serving and retired, and ordinary folks, would often approach him in times of their need and he tried his best to ease their difficulties. He was one of those few public servants who demonstrably ventured beyond the immediate surroundings and was admirably public-spirited. May Allah rest his soul in eternal peace. I salute this brave heart.

Muhammad Nurul Huda is a columnist of The Daily Star.