Edward M Kennedy Jr to deliver speech commemorating 50 years of Bangladesh-US ties
UNB || BusinessInsider
Family members of Senator Edward M. ‘Ted’ Kennedy, who visited the newly independent Bangladesh in February 1972, are scheduled to visit Dhaka
Edward M Kennedy Jr will deliver a speech commemorating 50 years of Bangladesh-US relations on Sunday at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban of Dhaka University.
US Ambassador Peter D Haas and Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman will be present during the "landmark" speech.
"My family and I will honor the 50th anniversary of my father's pivotal role in the Bangladeshi struggle for independence," said Ted Kennedy Jr.
Kennedy, Jr., son of late US Senator Edward M. Kennedy and nephew of late U.S. President John F. Kennedy, and his family will visit the Bengal Foundation in Dhanmondi on Sunday (October 30, 2022).
His accompanying family members include Dr. Katherine Kennedy (wife), Dr Kiley Kennedy (daughter), Teddy Kennedy (son), Grace Kennedy Allen (niece), and Max Allen (nephew).
The Kennedy family, a true friend of Bangladesh, will be attending a live classical musical performance, a traveling library exhibition and the ongoing art exhibition.
The family will also visit the organiser's bookstore to encourage readership.
When approached, a spokesperson at the US Embassy in Dhaka termed it a "historic visit."
The Kennedy family is visiting Bangladesh to mark a "milestone" of the yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh-US relations.
They will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen.
Under the auspices of the US Department of State's Speakers Programme, Kennedy will commemorate the legacy of his father as a staunch advocate for Bangladesh's fight for independence and will visit the banyan tree his father planted to symbolise the friendship between the United States and Bangladesh.
As a lawyer and advocate for civil rights of individuals with disabilities, he will also deliver a lecture on disability rights at the Edward M. Kennedy Centre for Public Service and the Arts.
During the one-week visit to Bangladesh, the Kennedy family will visit various cultural attractions and meet with civil society representatives, US government-sponsored exchange programme alumni and Bangladesh government officials.
In February, 1972, Senator Ted Kennedy spoke to the students at University of Dhaka and said, "You know while some governments do not yet recognise you, the people of the world do recognise you, and they recognise all you have accomplished here in the name of freedom from tyranny and oppression. We are brothers in liberty, and no man, no policy, no government can change that fact."
Senator Kennedy planted a banyan tree on Dhaka University's campus as a living tribute to friendship, resilience, and hope, and it stands today.
Senator Ted Kennedy during his 1972 visit to Dhaka also said, "The struggle of the people of Bangladesh evokes the greatest memories of our past."
Bangladesh and the United States have been "strong enduring partners" for the past five decades.
