Kennedy Jr hopes US-BD relationship will continue to be warm

DU Correspondent :
Edward M Kennedy Jr expressed hope to continue the warm relationship between the United States (US) and Bangladesh despite disagreements on several issues recently.
Expressing hope to watch the bi-lateral relationship stronger in coming days with mutual respect and cooperation, he said that after 50 years the Banyan tree located at Dhaka University has become big to biggers, the US Bangladesh partnership is like this tree.
He said, “I just visited the Banyan tree at the University of Dhaka planted by my father after the independence war in 1972 as a symbol of USA-Bangladesh relationship. The tree has been still growing up and so is the relationship between the two countries for years.”
Edward M Kennedy Jr, son of late US senator Edward Moore Kennedy who was the USA’s ambassador to Bangladesh during the independence war, delivered the speech commemorating 50 years of Bangladesh-US relations on Monday at NababNawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban of Dhaka University.
USA Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas, DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman along with teachers and students of the University of Dhaka were present at the programme organized by USA Embassy in Bangladesh.
Mentioning the brief history of Banyan tree of DU, he said, “As a symbol of US-Bangladesh diplomatic relationship, my father planted the tree on the DU campus when he visited Bangladesh in 1972 which was blown by the Pakistani army as underneath the tree was a big gathering point of students and many democratic movements started from there.”
“My father planted the tree as a symbol of restoring democracy too so that the students could gather and comment political discourse there again,” he added.
Ted Kennedy Jr also referred to the Liberation War history of Bangladesh. He said, “My father told us the story of this great nation. He told us about the rampage of Pakistani Army in Dhaka University in 1971 where Pakistani army randomly shoot thousands of teachers and students throughout the country.”
Remembering the sacrifice of Bangali nation for independence, he said, “My father told us about the refugee camps where millions of the Bengali people took shelter during the war and the history of those women and mothers who were holding the dead bodies of their babies in their laps.”
He also said that US and Bangladesh have been enjoying a successful relationship since 1972 in our mutual interests though the both country have some issues and disagreement concerns too.
Kennedy Jr also appreciated Bangladesh’s gesture for hosting Rohingya people from Myanmar. He said “Your country has been hosting accommodation refugees from Myanmar who fled their country during an ethnic cleansing and Bangladesh has been contributing a lot in the UN peacekeeping missions too.”
Thanking DU administration for cooperating to arrange the programme, US ambassador Peter Haas said, “Though American Nixon administration stood against Bangladesh during the war in 1971, many people of America, consulates and Senators opposed the administration for helping Pakistani Army during the war.”
“Senator Edward M Kennedy was one of them and he criticized the policies of Nixon administration. He also called on Pakistani government to treat Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with respect while he was in prison in during the war of 1971.”
DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman thanked Ted Kennedy Jr and said, “We are delighted to have Ted Kennedy and his Family members here. Ted Kennedy has given a historical illustration on our past and the struggle of his father who have contributed a lot for the people across the globe.”
“Bangladesh has a kinship with United States of America and we hope it will develop more in the future,” he added.
At the end of the program ted Kennedy gave an original copy of the book as a gift named ‘Crisis In South Asia’ to the Library of Dhaka University Library which was written by his late father senator Edward Moore Kennedy.
Earlier, Kennedy and his Family members paid a visit along the officials and faculty members of DU to the Banyan tree known as ‘Bot Tola’.