Appalling crime and lengthy trial
I am relieved that, at long last, those guilty of the appalling crime against the British envoy in May 2004 have been brought before a judge who confirmed their guilt though they are expected to appeal.
As a British citizen, doing my best to serve Bangladesh, I felt shocked, insulted, angry and ashamed when 'my' High Commissioner, Anwar Choudhury, had a bomb thrown at him. What could have been going on in the heads of those who planned to take his life, on his 18th day at work, while he was visiting a religious shrine on his way to his birthplace? What an honour it was for Bangladesh that the British government had chosen to appoint, as its envoy here, one who was Bangladeshi by race and birth - and Muslim by faith. How many countries send, as their envoy, someone from a minority race and faith, whom they are totally confident will represent their country with integrity and skill? How much honour and respect he deserved, especially coming from a country whose donations to Bangladesh are way ahead of all others!
It was only by the grace of God that the bomb bounced off him and killed three other poor innocent people and wounded around 70 others. If he had been killed, it would have made headline news all over the world and brought the name of Bangladesh into the gutter.
My sense of shame continued when it was obvious that the government of the time could have prosecuted the guilty parties but, as the evidence now suggests, had come to some sort of arrangement to shield those who were guilty, presumably because the offence was not considered serious....the fact that it has taken four and a half years to produce a verdict is nothing to be proud about.
Now the matter has been settled, I hope we can all put our feelings to rest but never let it be forgotten that those who represent their countries in Bangladesh are doing their best to care for all the people of this dear country when, apparently, some people who call themselves Bangladeshis only care for those made in their own image and consider the rest 'fair game'.
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