A tribute to Ted Kennedy

I am writing today to pay respect to Senator Edward Kennedy, popularly known as Ted Kennedy, not because he fired up Democrats at the opening session of the National convention of the Democratic Party on August 25 in Denver, but because for his dedication to just causes and justice to the people of the United States in particular and the world at large.
The first part of the inaugural session was devoted to Senator Kennedy for his great services to the nation. He was introduced by Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of President John F. Kennedy. In his short speech, Senator Kennedy gave a passionate call to Democrats to rally behind Barack Obama's pioneering quest for the White House.
Kennedy said: "The work begins anew. The hope rises again. The dream lives on." His appearance was a source of inspiration to the Democrats.
Senator Kennedy, the liberal icon, who is battling against brain cancer, is the younger brother of the great president of the United States John F. Kennedy. He was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour.
Ted Kennedy was sworn in as Senator in 1962, following the assassination of John Kennedy. Since then, he has been making passionate appeals to the administration to follow the footprints of the founder fathers of the United States on domestic and foreign policies of the country.
Senator Kennedy was the most outspoken personality in the Senate against the invasion of Iraq by the Bush administration. Time and again, he has spoken to challenge the administration and chart a new course for Iraq.
Subsequent events have proved that Senator Kennedy was on the right track. For the last 46 years he has been fighting for the issues that benefit the people of the country. His themes are civil rights, workers' causes, national health insurance, and immigrants' problems.
36 years ago, Senator Edward Kennedy rose in the Senate to speak against the Republican President Richard Nixon, who sided with the military dictator of Pakistan in 1971 and dispatched arms to Pakistan.
Senator Kennedy had spoken against the atrocities, rape and persecution against the Bengali population in East Pakistan, who were passing through a nightmare during the operation of the Pakistan army. Ten million people had to flee to India for shelter.
Being overwhelmed by the stories of atrocities, Senator Kennedy planned to visit East Pakistan, but he was not allowed to do so. I recall what Pakistan ambassador to the US, Agha Hillaly, said in a telegram to the foreign office in Islamabad, a copy of which was sent to secretary of information, Altaf Gauhar, the most powerful secretary in Pakistan.
I had the privilege to read the message, which said that preventing Senator Kennedy from entering East Pakistan would backfire because he would project a negative image through the media in the western world. At that time I was looking after America and Europe desk in the external publicity wing in Islamabad.
The refusal of entry did not deter Senator Kennedy, who flew to Calcutta in August 1971 to see the pitiable condition of the refugees in the make-shift camps. Back in the Senate, Kennedy began hearings on the refugee problems in September.
The most regrettable part is that President Nixon's Assistant for National Security affairs, Henry Kissinger, who became secretary of state under the Ford administration, set aside $ 300 million for East Pakistan to stop the flow of refugees to India in order to prevent India from attacking Pakistan.
Following independence of Bangladesh, Senator Kennedy was possibly the first personality from the United States to pay a visit to Bangladesh in February, 1972 to pay respect to the valiant people of Bangladesh. A New York Times report of February 15 said that Kennedy arrived on February 14 to a cheering welcome, and visited areas where Bengalis bones still lay bleached in the sun.
Senator Kennedy spoke before 8000 people, including students, at Dhaka University, where he said: "Even though the US government does not recognise you, the people of the world do recognise you."
Senator Kennedy had chosen Dhaka University as the killing spree had begun there. The Ford administration did not recognise Bangladesh until Indian troops were withdrawn from there.
His feelings for the people of Bangladesh during the war will remain embedded in our memory. We wish him early recovery from the deadly disease so that his dream "to greet a new Democrat president in the Senate in January" is fulfilled.

Mohammad Amjad Hossain is former Bangladesh diplomat. He writes from Virginia.