Asma Kibria's anguish and prayer
Mrs. Asma Kibria's article, 'Is it not yet time for justice?" published in The Daily Star on Wednesday, 24 October, moved me to tears. Mrs Kibria's campaign for justice following the brutal killing of her husband SAMS Kibria on 24 January 2005 is an admirable example of courage, determination and dignity. But in this connection the pertinent question is: How many more years does she have to continue showing this example?
In the death of Mr Kibria, his wife has lost a devoted and loving husband and their two children a very affectionate father. But I, a junior member of erstwhile Pakistan Foreign Service cadre like Mr Kibria, lost a role model. I vividly remember the day when in October 1969, I went to pay a farewell call on Mr Kibria, the Director (Personnel) in Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad, before I proceeded for my first ever foreign posting as a Third Secretary with the Pakistan High Commission in London. On that October morning, Mr Kibria had told me in these words, "You have got to compromise on most occasions all your life in your different roles as a government servant, as a husband, as a father, as a friend and as a citizen. But then there may come a time in your life when you will feel that enough is enough, thus far and no farther."
When 1971 came to me in London, Mr Kibria's advice indeed played an important role in my decision to give up my post of Second Secretary and join the liberation war. About the same time, Mr Kibria and all other Bengali officers of Pakistan's Washington embassy resigned en masse describing General Yahya Khan's military government as "a government by murder." I still cherish the one-page letter that Mr Kibria had written to me from Washington DC congratulating me on my announcement to work for the Mujibnagar government at the biggest ever rally of Bengalis in London's Trafalgar Square on 1 August 1971.
I have many more fond memories with the members of this family, particularly with Mr Kibria in Geneva, Dhaka and Jakarta. In October 1979, he returned from Havana after attending the Non-aligned summit as a member of President Ziaur Rahman's delegation. He was then Foreign Secretary and I Deputy Chief of Protocol. I was then living in an abandoned house close to his Dhanmondi residence. He beckoned me at the old Tejgaon Airport, wishing me to join him in his car; and once the car started moving, he asked my opinion on who he could send as our first ambassador to Bhutan. He told me that the King of Bhutan had requested President Ziaur Rahman to open Bangladesh's resident mission in Thimphu. President Zia had agreed to the King's request provided the latter could manage with the Indians about our opening the second resident diplomatic mission after India. The Foreign Secretary, a few months earlier, had transferred me to our embassy in Jakarta and therefore left me out of his consideration for Bhutan. Finally, one of my Foreign Service batch mates went to Bhutan as our first ambassador.
SAMS Kibria was the first Bangladeshi to have held the second highest post in the UN system as an Under Secretary General; and he was one of only two Finance Ministers for the common people of the country, the other being Mr. Tajuddin Ahmed. He was a man of strong personality but never of extreme views or positions. Such a distinguished freedom fighter and citizen is killed and his wife, three long years, later goes on praying for fair and credible justice!!
Mrs. Asma Kibria has been trying to draw the attention of three successive governments all these years in the most peaceful way, but so far unsuccessfully. Some vital inconsistencies have marked the investigation process, as she has repeatedly pointed out. The immediate past government may have had deplorable political interests in not pursuing the investigation in a credible and transparent manner. But what about the present caretaker government? It has been holding so many trials of so many once-mighty people and so swiftly! But why not this case of Ms. Kibria? Besides, this is not a demand or prayer of the widow of Ms. Kibria only. This is my demand also. This is the demand of millions and millions of people of this country except some die-hard BNP and Jamaati people.
The present government may claim millions of successes to its credit. But if it delays in conducting a free, fair and credible trial of the real murderers of Mr. Kibria, it will also be judged over its negligence in upholding the rule of law and justice.
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