Capt. Quddus Passed Away
All our Respected Seniors & Beloved Juniors, Assalamu Alaikum,
With very sad heart, this is to inform you all that our respected Capt. Quddus Sir Passed Away on6th September at 10am at Chittagong.
Innalillahi Wainnailaihe Rajeun.
As we know that he was also father of our Capt. Samsuddin (16th Batch), Capt. Salauddin (22nd C Batch) & Engr. Imamuddin (24th C Batch).
His Namaze Janaja held on the 06/09/2014, Saturday after Asar Prayer at Halishahar H bolck Masjid.
With Kind Regards
Baten (18th Batch), Singapore
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Few words about Late Capt. Quddus :
The attendance at the Namaze Janaza of late Capt. Quddus showed how the marine community loved him. I had the chance to sail under him as an uncertificated Second Mate on board M.V. Sylhet for a very short while and I came to learn how fatherly he was to his subordinates . He and Capt. S. A. Choudhury were instrumental in helping me out to proceed for my Second Mate’s exam on time in the UK in1976.
His integrity of character and steadfastness to a just cause was revealed when the Merchant Marine Officers Association was fighting for enhancement of our service conditions in BSC in the year 1979. He was like a Guardian Angel to us and it was a pleasure having him on our side in our fight for our rights. OMay Allah bless his soul and grant him Jannah.
Kind regards
Capt Shafiq Bhuiyan (08)
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In Banglar Torony I sailed with Captain Quddus Sir. He was very soft spoken and caring to his officers and crew. I have many memories with him by which this legendary person will be alive through out. May Allah swt forgive him and grant him Zannatul ferdaus. May Allah swt also give courage and strengths to his family members to bear this Irrecoverable losses.
Kind regards
Engr. M N Karim (8c)
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TRIBUTE TO CAPT QUDDUS, MY FIRST MASTER AT SEA
1975 BANGLAR TARANI, MY MAIDEN VOYAGE AS A CADET UNDER COMMAND OF CAPT QUDDUS.
AT COLOMBO ANCHORAGE I WAS STANDING ON THE BRIDGE-WING AS A LOOKOUT.
CAPTAIN QUDDUS CAME UP AFTER BREAKFAST:
-WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?
-SIR, LOOK-OUT
-WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF A LOOK-OUT?
-SIR, TO LOOK AROUND THE SHIP
-THAT’S ALL?
-YES SIR
-HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU REPORT TO THE DUTY OFFICER SINCE THE BEGINNING OF YOUR DUTY?
-NEVER
-SO YOU ARE ‘SIGHT-SEEING’ NOT KEEPING’ LOOK-OUT’
-(NO ANSWER)
-DO YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ‘SIGHT-SEEING’ AND ‘LOOK-OUT’ ? A ‘LOOK-OUT’ MUST REPORT EVERY THING HE SEES AROUND. IF THERE IS NOTHING AROUND, HE SHOULD STILL REPORT ‘ALL CLEAR’ EVERY FIFTEEN/TWENTY MINUTES. FOR SIGHT-SEEING YOU DON’T NEED TO REPORT. SO WHAT YOU ARE DOING, IN FACT, IS SIGHT-SEEING. GO! AND REPORT TO THE DUTY OFFICER.
I ENTERED THE BRIDGE, REPORTED ‘ALL CLEAR’ AND WENT OUT TO THE OTHER WING. AFTER A WHILE CAPTAIN FOLLOWED ME TO THE OTHER WING:
-DO YOU KNOW HOW TO TAKE BEARING?
-YES SIR
-OK.THEN GO ON THE MONKEY BRIDGE, USE THE STANDARD COMPASS, TAKE BEARINGS FROM THREE DIFFERENT SHORE OBJECTS AND PLOT THE SHIP’S POSITION ON THE CHART.
I RAN UP AND DOWN, TOOK THE BEARINGS, APPLIED CORRECTIONS AND PLOTTED ON THE CHART. THE BEARINGS DID NOT INTERSECT AT THE SAME POINT AND A RATHER BIG ‘COCKED HAT’ WAS FORMED. ONE CORNER OF THE ‘COCKED HAT’ WAS ABOUT FOUR MILES TOWARDS SHORE FROM THE SHIP’S ACTUAL POSITION. CAPTAIN WAS STANDING BEHIND. HE LOOKED AT ME WITH A SMILE:
-STILL BETTER, YOU DID NOT PUT THE VESSEL ASHORE. DO YOU KNOW WHY IT HAPPENS?
-SIR , MAY BE UNKNOWN MAGNETIC CAUSE
– YES, BUT MOST OF THE TIMES IT IS DUE TO IGNORANCE. I SAW YOU OBSERVED THE BEARINGS WITH YOUR WRIST-WATCH ON. YOUR METALLIC WRIST-WATCH DISTURBED THE COMPASS. SO LEAVE YOUR WATCH ON THE TABLE AND DO THE FIXING AGAIN.
I DID THE FIXING AGAIN. THE COCKED HAT WAS STILL THERE BUT SMALLER. CAPTAIN WASN’T STILL SATISFIED .HE ASKED ME IF HAD ANY OTHER METALIC THING WITH ME. I TOOK OUT A BIG BUNCH OF STORE-KEY FROM MY POCKET. SEEING THAT HE LAUGHED ALOUD:
-IS THIS YOUR UNKNOWN MAGNETIC CAUSE?
HE WAS AN EXCELLENT PROFESSIONAL TEACHER, WHO USED TO LOVE TEACHING THROUGH EVERY DAY ACTIVITIES AND A VERY PRUDENT MARINER. AS A MAN HE WAS CARING, HUMBLE, HONEST, AFFABLE AND FATHERLY. I CONSIDER MYSELF VERY FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO START MY CAREER AT SEA UNDER SUCH A PERSONALITY. HIS DEDICATION TO SEAFARING IS DEMONSTRATED BY HIS DECISION TO SEND ALL THREE OF HIS SONS TO THE SEA, WHICH IS A RARE EXAMPLE IN THIS COUNTRY.
AN UNPRECEDENTED INVITATION
QUITE A FEW YEARS BACK CAPT QUDDUS WAS ONCE ADMITTED IN DHAKA APOLLO HOSPITAL. I VISITED HIM THERE AND INQUIRED ABOUT HIS HEALTH CONDITIONS AND SHARED SOME OLD MEMORIES WITH HIM. HE WAS SICK YET JOLLY WITH STRONG DETERMINATION. AFTER SPENDING SOME TIME WITH HIM FINALLY WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE, HE CALLED ME:
-‘SHAFIQ, PLEASE ATTEND MY FUNERAL, IF YOU CAN’
I WAS STUNNED. I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO RESPOND TO HIS INVITATION. I DON’T REMEMBER IF I HAD SAID ANYTHING. WHILE RETURNING FROM HOSPITAL I WAS RECPITULATING – IN MY WHOLE LIFE, I GOT INVITATIONS FROM MANY PEOPLE, ON MANY OCCASIONS LIKE, BIRTHDAY, WEDDING, FESTIVAL, ANNIVERSARY, INAUGURATION, RE-UNION BUT NEVER AN INVITATION FROM ANY ONE FOR HIS OWN FUNERAL. ONLY A PERSON WITH STRONG FAITH AND COURAGE CAN HAVE THE AUDACITY OF EXTENDING SUCH AN UNPRECEDENTED INVITATION. THAT MADE CAPTAIN QUDDUS AN EXTRA-ORDINARY PERSON TO ME.
IT IS MY BAD LUCK THAT I COULD NOT PHYSICALLY ATTEND HIS FUNERAL. I GOT THE MESSAGE OF HIS FINAL DEPARTURE AT 1044 AT DHAKA FROM HIS SON CAPT SALAUDDIN AT CHITTAGONG AND THE FUNERAL WAS DUE IN LESS THAN SIX HOURS. I COULD FIND NO MEANS TO GET THERE IN TIME. HOWEVER, SPIRITUALLY I DID PARTICIPATE, SOON AFTER MY ASAR PRAYER ON THAT DAY I ARRANGED A ESPECIAL PRAYER FOR THE DEPARTED SOUL. FURTHER, I REQUESTED AS MANY OF MY FRIENDS AND FELLOW MARINERS AS I COULD REACH, TO ATTEND HIS FUNERAL ON MY BEHALF.
MAY ALLAH PLACE HIM IN THE HIGHEST PLACE IN HEAVEN.
TO THE FAMILY OF CAPTAIN QUDDUS SIR, I CONVEY MY DEEPEST REGARDS. I HAVE SUCH FOND MEMORIES OF SAILING UNDER YOUR BELOVED FATHER. MY SINCERE CONDOLENCES TO ALL OF YOU. MAY GOD GIVE YOU THE COURAGE AND STRENGTH TO WITHSTAND SUCH A TREMENDOUS SHOCK.
FROM
CAPT A K M SHAFIQULLAH