Ambassadors / Chairmen of the School 1988-1997
His Excellency. A. L M. HASHIM
Courtesy Sarath Malalasekers
http://archives.dailynews.lk/2010/10/27/fea20.asp
President’s Counsel A L M Hashim after his education at Zahira College, Colombo, graduated from the University of London, in 1949 with a Bachelor of Laws Degree.
He was enroled as a Barrister in January 1951 and as an Advocate in the same year. He mainly practiced in Kegalle until the time of his demise and held the distinction of being the first Barrister from the Kegalle District. He was also one time President of the Kegalle Bar.
Hashim functioned as a member of many statutory boards and was also a member of the delimitation commission. He also held the honour of being appointed as the Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
He was conferred the dignity of Silk in 1991 and thus became the first to be appointed President’s Counsel from the Kegalle Bar.
His Excellency M. I. AHAMED
Izzat Ahamed – an Ambassador who won the hearts of the people
Courtesy
MOHAMMED RASOOLDEEN, Colombo Times Jun 18 2020
COLOMBO- Former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mohamed Izzat Ahamed was laid to rest at the Saffron Hill Cemetery, Leicester, following Janaza prayers on Wednesday.
Ahamed passed away peacefully in the United Kingdom at the Leicester Royal Infirmary (a Hospital in Leicester) on Wednesday morning and he was buried in the evening on the same day.
Ahamed was ambassador in Riyadh for well over two years during my period in the Saudi capital in 1992. During his tenure as Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Saudi Arabids, he was determined to do tangible services for the migrant workers in the Kingdom and also he was very keen on taking the Saudi-Lanka relations to new heights.
Taking education as his priority, the envoy made far-reaching changes at the Sri Lanka International School, which was the first international institution to be established outside the island. He was responsible for bringing former Nalanda College principal D.G.Sumanaskera as the principal of the international school in Riyadh. He revised the salary structure of the staff of the school and also introduced several extra-curricular and co-curricular activities in the school. Also he took a keen interest in the activities of the Sri Lankan Expatriates Society, where he was instrumental in organizing a fund-raising campaign and bought a coach for the labour wing of the embassy to transport the stranded housemaids to ferry them to the airport and hospitals free-of-charge. He also gave a new look to the Sri Lankan mission in Riyadh by furnishing the embassy with new carpets and furniture. “ Beautifying the mission will give a good image of Sri Lanka and people can be attracted to visit Sri Lanka in this manner,” he once said, pointing out that the Saudis are heavy spenders and when they visit Sri Lanka, the country can be benefited from such activities.
He was one of those Lankan diplomats who moved with the kings, princes, diplomats and also with the common man confidently with a sense of cordiality, goodwill and sincerity.
We had a good team in Riyadh with this gentleman ambassador, who harnessed the talents and goodwill of persons like Engineer AGA Barrie, Prasad Kariyawasam, Abdul Wahab, P. Packianathan, Razeen Salih, Ameen Yusuf and several others whose names cannot be mentioned due to want of space.
He had a dream to build the Sri Lankan International School in Riyadh to have its own building but, unfortunately, the plan was toppled because of the short-sighted people of a few Sri Lankans who resisted the move.
Ahamad is survived by his two fondest sons Faisal and Aslam and his beloved wife Rizvi Marikar Bawa. The writer can still remember his wife telling about her husband when Ahamed was sick. “ I treat him like a flower because he is such a nice person,” his wife Rizvi said.
The flowers that blossom in this world tend to fade and perish sooner or later. Sincerely, hope and pray that Ahamed should blossom in heaven and remain as fresh as dew till we all meet together.
Good Bye Sir for the fondest remembrances you have left behind in this world, where nothing is permanent except death.
He has worked extensively in the field of Human Rights and Conflict Resolution and served as a Member of the National Human Rights Commission and a Member of the Presidential Commission that inquired into high profile Human Rights violations.
A Civil Society activist with wide experience having served on the Boards of Management of several Civil Society Organisations and Educational Institutions, Mr. Yusuf has been very active in the field of media as well. Having functioned as the first Head of the Peace Secretariat for Muslims, he has also served as Principal of the Premier Muslim Boys School in Sri Lanka, Zahira College Colombo.
More recently he has served as a Member of the Board of Management of the Government mandated Office for National Unity and Reconciliation headed by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga as well as a Member of the Professional Advisory Body on National Security appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena after the April 21 Easter Sunday attacks.
Currently he serves as a Member of the Executive Committee of the Congress of Religions (an interfaith body of senior religious leaders) and a Member of the Dispute Resolution Council of the Sri Lanka Press Institute.
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