Fond memories of a Bangladeshi President, Chief Justice

The loss of a family member, friend, or someone whom you’ve known and admired is always sad.

I was deeply saddened to read about the passing of former President and Chief Justice Shabuddin Ahmed. It wasn’t the kind of news I welcome into my day, but it couldn’t be avoided. Heart-felt befitting tributes poured from early morning into the media outlets from President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina downwards.

While I cannot claim to have known the learned intellectual and scholar for any great length of time, the gentleman had befriended and was admired by the nation for his noble staunch stance on corruption. He was described by those who knew him up-close as a gentleman of high principles and a consummate gentleman. The latter I found him unequivocally to be. He was also an inspiration to me during my formative days in Bangladesh.

It is a well-known fact that Allah sends a teacher into a pupil’s life when the pupil is ready to learn. My meeting with President Jusrice Shabuddin Ahmed was of a similar nature, a Godsend, if you wish, and a treasured memory I will carry with me forever.
Muhammad Musa, President of the BCS Freedom-Fighter & Mujibnagar Officers and Employees Welfare Association of Bangladesh, had arranged the pleasant historical happenstance. I had gone to him to present him with a copy of my tribute to Bangabandhu poster, which encapsulates the famous speech of Bangabandhu of March 7 – one of the world’s most historic speeches ever made – that inspired the people of Bangladesh to rise up and claim their independence.

The meeting took place at the President’s residence The Bangabhaban, Dhaka. The amicable President held the gold framed poster at arms length in both hands and displayed enormous enthusiasm and appreciation towards it. After his eyes had slowly scanned the printed parchment, he said: “Brilliant!”

My ego, as big as it was then, didn’t even momentarily, assume he was referring to my poster concept, but to the historic speech it encapsulated and I totally agreed.

As we sipped tea and ate biscuits and cake, we sat for the next hour or so exchanging views on Bangladesh, especially Bangabandhu. He spoke of Bangabandhu with such warmth, compassion and love that I had to force myself not to interrupt with questions that might have broken the flow of the Bangabandhu and Bangladesh knowledge I had much craved and from a ‘you can put what he says in the bank’ reliable source.

Unfortunately, it was our only meeting, but the love for Bangladesh and Bangabandhu he expressed left a lasting impression upon me in ways I cannot express. I only hope all the Allah given virtues he possessed did not die with him and there are more Bengalis alive to carry on his legacy. Privileged are those who have been honoured to have met President Justice Shabuddin Ahmed... I know I am.

To this very day I relive the beautiful memory of our get-together as I do the rounds of a park in Gulshan named in his honour – The President Justice Shabuddin Ahmed Park.

He will always be fondly remembered. May he rest in peace in the loving arms of Allah for eternity.

(Sir Frank Peters is a former newspaper and magazine publisher and editor, a royal goodwill ambassador, humanitarian, and a respected foreign friend of Bangladesh. In 2000 he was the first person to encapsulate Bangabandhu March 7 speech in a tribute poster.)