Diplomat Mijarul Quayes passes away

Bangladesh Ambassador to Brazil and former foreign secretary Mohamed Mijarul Quayes is no more.

The 57-year-old breathed his last on Friday night at a hospital in Brasilia, foreign ministry's External Affairs Division chief Lutfor Rahman told bdnews24.com.

He had been treated at the Intensive Care Unit for almost a month after he went down with severe illness in February.

Quayes is survived by wife Naeema Chaudhury Quayes and two daughters.

President Md Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, State Minister Shahriar Alam and Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque expressed their condolences over the diplomat's death.

The Brazilian embassy in Dhaka has also expressed its condolences.

"On behalf of the Brazilian Government, and myself, I would like to present my most sincere condolences to Ambassador Quayles's family, his friends and to the Bangladeshi Government," Ambassador Wanja Campos da Nóbrega said in a statement.

Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) has also expressed 'deep shock' at the death of the career diplomat.

Quayes served as the foreign secretary for three years from 2009.

In 2012, he was diagnosed with respiratory complications and septicaemia, a life-threatening blood infection. He recovered after treatment at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.

Before being appointed the Bangladesh ambassador in Brazil, Quayes served as the high commissioner in the UK.

During his two-year stint in London, he drew flak for not being in station for days ahead of the arrival of the prime minister, over a charity run by his wife and audit objections for ‘misuse of powers and irregularities.’

Prior to his appointment as the foreign secretary in 2009, Quayes served as the envoy in the Maldives and Russia.

Educated at the Dhaka University and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, Quayes was a 1982 batch officer the Bangladesh Civil Service.

Apart from serving at different capacities in the foreign office and missions abroad, he has also taught at several universities and institutions.

Known to be an art critic, Quayes was a member of the Bangladesh chapter of the International Theatre Institute.