The whole Sri Lanka community, members of the diplomatic corps and well-wishers of Sri Lanka deeply mourn the death of Ambassador, Abdul Ageed Mohamed Marleen, 73, who  passed away peacefully while attending a conference in Sanaa Tuesday .

His sudden demise sent shock waves to Sri Lankans living both in Saudi Arabia as well as those in the motherland. As a mark of respect, the Sri Lankan community members in Riyadh and Jeddah held condolence meetings  at the Sri Lankan embassy in Riyadh as well as in the consulate in Jeddah. Sri Lankan Embassy here   has opened a condolence book which will be open  till Tuesday June 30

As a journalist, I had the opportunity of associating with him closely ever since he took up his assignment in Riyadh in March last year. He had a close rapport with the members of the Sri Lankan community irrespective of race or religion. He found his time to listen to the weary tales of distressed housemaids and also to meet members of the Royal family and senior government officials to project the image of Sri Lanka in this part of the world. His effective influence helped resolve several differences among the members of the various ethnic communities.  

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said:"The late Ambassador served Sri Lanka with great distinction as our envoy in Saudi Arabia and was a highly respected and a much loved personality, both among his colleagues in the diplomatic fraternity in Riyadh, as well as the 550,000 strong Sri Lankan expatriate community in the Kingdom.

Among his initiatives to promote Sri Lanka’s image in the Kingdom was the launch of a highly informative and colourful monthly by the Embassy, dubbed  "Insight", in June last year, with the help and support of the Sri Lankan community. He made significant endeavours to build  bridges between the two countries and the peoples. Only last month, Ambassador Marleen founded the Sri Lanka- Saudi Arabia Friendship Society.

He gave a new look to the embassy premises, the outer area of the mission was beautifully landscaped with the help of Lankan philanthropists and made a special sitting area for the visitors with facilities to avail themselves for a cup of typical Sri Lankan tea. He also installed a wide screen television to highlight the tourist destinations through a documentary Faces and Places, filmed in Sri Lankan recently on his own initiative.  

Marleen,  who assumed duties here in March last year,  was an eminent Colombo-based lawyer , who has been in active practice for 40  years.  

Marleen was bestowed with the post of President’s Counsel in 2001, an honour conferred on outstanding legal men. Since 1991 he has been the president of the Moors Islamic Cultural Home ( MICH ) and secretary general of the Cairo-based  Afro-Asian Solidarity Association. He has also officiated as the chairman of the Board of Management of Zahira College in Colombo , which is the premier Islamic educational institution in the country’s capital. He was also the founder member of the SLFP Lawyers Association.

Marleen went to Sanaa on Sunday and I met him on Saturday with a Saudi businessman who wanted to visit Sri Lanka with his family on a holiday. I was really amazed at the manner he treated the Saudi  gentleman showing our traditional Sri Lankan hospitality. He saw that the entry visa was issued in 10 minutes while we were having discussions. He offered us tea and he presented the visitor with three packets of tea and told him to come again to the mission when he finishes  the tea given to him.

Marleen possessed sterling qualities of an ambassador, he was kind, gentle, sincere  devoted to his profession and understood the qualities of the common man. Although  his death had caused a great vacuum in the annals of the Sri Lankans living in the Kingdom, Ambassador Marleen will be remembered for ever for the yeoman services he rendered to the community here.

I salute him for the sentiments he had towards the community and efforts he made to project Sri Lanka as a country full of potential.

Thank You Sir for all what you did to us and we will always remembers you in our prayers .

Marleen is survived by his wife, and son Eng.  Shahran in San Francisco and  three daughters - doctors Sheroon in Brisbane, Shezoon and Shemoon in London.  His Janaza took place in Jawatte Burial Grounds on Friday before the Jumma prayers. May the Almighty grant him Him Jenna for his good services.