SAMS Kibria

It was my pleasure to get to know him better in the days he served as Bangladesh's minister for finance. During his visits to London, I was deeply humbled when he called me, soon after he landed at Heathrow, to exchange news and pleasantries. I had occasion to see him defend Bangladesh's interests before foreign audiences not only vigorously but also intellectually. He did not suffer fools gladly and made that part of his personality refreshingly clear on the occasions when I found myself in his company. He was dismissive of sycophancy, something that led people like myself into admiring him all the more.

But let me not digress more than it is necessary. But do know that in remembering Shah AMS Kibria through the tributes to him in your special issue, you have not only helped us recall the giant and decent man he was but also reminded us just how impoverished we grow to be when men and women of his kind pass into the beyond before their time.