Senator Edward Kennedy
The death of Senator Edward Kennedy has robbed Bangladesh of a great friend who came to her side in times of her need. He opposed the position of the then US President Nixon who supported the genocide launched by the Pakistani military regime. Ironically, Nixon stated in his own handwriting, “To all hands: DON'T squeeze Yahya at this time”. Thus he blessed General Yahya Khan of Pakistan to continue the killings of Bangalis and to push several millions into India as refugees.
I took part in the liberation struggle of Bangladesh. In my capacity as the president of the Bangladesh Association of British Columbia (Canada), I wrote a letter to Senator Edward Kennedy in June 1971 regarding the US policy on military assistance to Pakistan. He wrote me back immediately and stated , “Thank you very much for your recent letter regarding arms assistance to Pakistan. I certainly share your dismay and concern over this violation of a self-imposed Administration embargo upon military aid to Pakistan. I am presently co-sponsoring a resolution together with Senator Charles Mathias which would ban arms assistance to Pakistan. Again, thank you for writing, and best wishes.”
Subsequently, in August 1971 he visited the refugee camps in India and was deeply distressed to observe the sufferings of people. He exposed the brutality of the Pakistani military regime to the world. Senator Kennedy visited Bangladesh in January 1972 soon after her liberation. He planted a tree at the famous “Bottola” of Dhaka University campus.
Senator Kennedy was a man of great vision. Just like the Bangladesh crisis in 1971, he opposed the US government's policy on Iraq in 2003. He was one of the very few US Senators who voted against the illegal invasion of Iraq describing it as “the wrong war at the wrong time”. He was correct in assessing the situations whether it was in Iraq or in Bangladesh.
His absence will be deeply felt for a long time to come.
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