Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday conferred ‘Friends of Liberation War Honour’ on US Senator Edward M Kennedy Sr for his great contribution to Bangladesh’s Liberation War. The premier handed over the ‘Friends of Liberation War Honour’ conferred posthumously on Edward M Kennedy Sr to his able son Edward M Ted Kennedy Jr.
Ted Kennedy Jr, a former member of Connecticut State Senate along with his wife, son, daughter, niece and nephew, is now on seven-day visit to Bangladesh from October 29-November 5 to join the yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of US-Bangladesh relations. The US Embassy in Dhaka also termed the visit as ‘historic’ one.
He (Edward (Ted) M Kennedy Jr) at a function at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban at Dhaka University on Monday said it is important for all Bangladeshis to know that vast majority of the people of US were on their (Bangladeshis) side during the struggle of the independence in 1971 despite the then US administration’s tilled down policy towards Pakistan. The real foreign policy of America is citizen to citizen, friend to friend, people to people, foreign bonds of brotherhood that no tyranny can diminish.
We hope that the bilateral
relations between Bangladesh
and USA will further be
strengthened in the coming days
People of Bangladesh believe that the Kennedy family would always support the democracy and prosperity of Bangladesh to build further stronger ties between Washington and Dhaka.
Kennedy Sr had taken bold stand against the genocide committed by the then West Pakistan on innocent Bangalees. He had stood by the people of Bangladesh and campaigned for the Liberation War in 1971. Kennedy Sr criticised the US policy to supply arms to Pakistan and boldly called to stop American military and economic aid to Pakistan till end of the Liberation War.
The Pakistan military administration under General Yahya Khan tried to suppress information regarding the genocide in Bangladesh launched on the night of March 25, 1971. But Edward Kennedy exposed the brutality of the Pakistani occupation forces to the world communities after his visit to the refugee camps in India in August 1971.
Later he (Kennedy Sr) received a hero’s welcome in Dhaka in 1972, just after Bangladesh gained independence. We express our gratitude for the outstanding contribution of late US Senator Edward M Kennedy to supporting the then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) during the Liberation War.
Bangladesh has friendly relations with the United States as the two countries are working from their respective positions on bilateral and common issues as well as multilateral issues. We hope that the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and USA will further be strengthened in the coming days. We believe the relationship between Bangladesh and USA will go far beyond strategic partnership thorough Edward M Ted Kennedy Jr’s visit.
