IN MEMORY OF LATE RAMZAN ALI: Mubashir Ahmed Khan (2E).

The year was 1969 and I was 5th Engineer on board M V AL-Murtaza of Mohammadi Steamship Company. The Ship was under repair in Karachi Shipyard. The crankshaft of Main Engine ( Doxford ) was being changed.

The Company’s other Ship M V AL-Ahmadi came alongside our Ship. The Chief Officer of Al-Ahmadi was late Ramzan Ali. He was transferred to Al-Murtaza. His wife Mahmooda Ramzan alongwith baby Farzana flew from Dhaka and joined him on board our Ship (Al-Murtaza). Late Ramzan Ali was a nice and friendly person. One day, he came himself to my cabin and invited me to attend the birthday party of baby Farzana to be held the next day. The birthday party went well in the Ship’s dining saloon. In addition to the Ship’s skeleton staff, one Bengali family was also present.

When Moin Ahmed was appointed Director General of the International Mobile Satellite Organisation ( IMSO ), he arranged a party at his residence. I attended this function. I had the opportunity of meeting Moin Ahmed two three times later on. Interestingly, it came to my knowledge that the above mentioned baby was now the wife of Moin Ahmed. By the grace of God, they now have two grown up children i.e. Munaj and Samiha.

Back to M V Al-Murtaza, I went on leave in October 1969 and later joined the Company’s Vessel Al-Abedin. Late Ramzan Ali had shifted his family from Al-Murtaza to a rented house in Karachi. It may be noted that Al-Murtaza was the first diesel ship of Pakistan. All the previous ships were steam driven.

I lost contact with late Ramzan Ali until April, 1983. He was then Deputy Conservator with Chittagong Port Authority. I was Chief Engineer of M V Banglar Doot. The Ship was in Chittagong, waiting for lighterage work ( bringing wheat from bigger vessels at Outer Anchorage to Chittagong Port). Banglar Doot was the first Ship of Bangladesh Shipping Corporation when the Corporation was established under a Presidential order in Bangladesh.

At Marine Academy Chittagong, a Workshop on “Marine Pollution Prevention, Control and Response” was conducted by International Maritime Organisation (IMO) from 24th to 28th April, 1983. Khundker Noorulwahab (1E) was the main co-ordinator. I attended this Workshop and late Ramzan Ali also participated. As before, I found him nice and friendly. I remember a visit of the participants to Chittagong Port was included in the Workshop. We were all in the official bus. When the bus approached the Port gate and the gatekeepers saw late Ramzan Ali sitting in the bus, they immediately opened the gate and let the bus pass through.

My last meeting with late Ramzan Ali took place in Chalna Port in 1996. I was Chief Engineer on board Pakistani Vessel Sea Venture. My batch-mate Mr Sharif Atiqur Rahman was Member (Engineering) with Mongla Port Authority. He visited my Ship several times. From him I came to know that Ramzan Ali also was serving with Mongla Port Authority as Member (Operations). Through Sharif Atiqur Rahman, I invited Ramzan Ali to have lunch with us on board M V Sea Venture. He kindly accepted my invitation and came on board with Sharif Atiqur Rahman. We had brief conversation followed by lunch. Due to his busy official work schedule, he did not stay long and had to leave soon after lunch.

Ramzan Ali passed away in 2010. May his soul rest in eternity. Amen

Mubashir Ahmed Khan (2E)      
London 26.12.2019
Email. Mubashira2050@gmail.com