By Jamil Akhtar MBE

I would like to pay tribute to Dr Nasim Hasnie OBE, a man who worked tirelessly to unite all of the citizens of Kirklees.

Dr Hasnie passed away on October 15 2022 after a short illness. His funeral was held the following day and this was a very sad moment for Kirklees and the communities he worked so hard for. He was devoted to uniting people and helping improve their lives.

Dr Hasnie was born in Pakistan and moved to Huddersfield in the 1960s. He was proud to call himself a Yorkshireman and he quickly involved himself deeply in the life of the town.

He was a lecturer at Kirklees College retiring approximately 10 years ago to devote himself to the many voluntary, community and statutory organisations in which he involved himself locally, regionally and nationally, working very hard to create community cohesion and improve the quality of life for the residents of Kirklees.

Some of those organisations down the years included the Huddersfield Interfaith Council, the Kirklees Equality and Human Right Agency and the Kirklees Community Relations Council. He was also chairman of governors at Mount Pleasant Primary School in Huddersfield.

He cared very deeply about bringing people together to ensure good relations between the various communities.

Many years ago he was awarded the OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for his work in the community, his name being forwarded by Kirklees Metropolitan Council.

He lived a very simple life. Though he passed his driving test many years ago he never owned a car nor a mobile telephone which was very unusual in this day and age.

He wasn’t interested in material possessions but merely working to better the lives of the people in the communities in all areas of the town where he made his home.

I knew Dr Hasnie for the past 50 years. We first met when we were both students in the same class at Huddersfield Polytechnic and I have never met anyone like him who was so passionate and determined to help his fellow human being.

He was a very kind and warm-hearted person who would do anything to help anyone he met.

His death is a tragic loss. My heart goes out to his family and friends. As a person he was unique. He will be sadly missed but so very fondly remembered by all who knew him.

It was a privilege to have known him and to regard him as a close friend. May God bless him and may he rest in eternal peace.