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bangladesh :: news
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American Center Library named after Archer Blood
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 ‘Father always felt proud of Bangladesh and I am proud of my father Archer Kent Blood who was an American Consul General appointed in Bangladesh during early days of the War of Independence, 1971. My father wanted to see Bangladesh as an independent country and stood against the Nixon-Kissinger's policy by alerting Washington to a massive and selective genocide in Bangladesh by the Pakistani army in 1971 risking his own career,’ Peter Blood stated during a press conference that his mother Margaret, sister Shireen and he attended in the American Centre at Banani a few days back.
Archer in his telegrams to Washington (that were declassified in 2002) had predicted 'a Bengali victory and the consequent establishment of an independent Bangladesh'. Archer, at that time observed all the situations, knocked again and again on President Richard M Nixon and the then national security adviser Henry A Kissinger and urged them to create pressure on General Yahya Khan's military regime to stop the mass killing. However, Washington kept silent on the crackdown and atrocities against the people in Bangladesh. Archer had been withdrawn by the US administration in June 1971, 18 months before the completion of his Dhaka assignment.
Peter described during the conference the policy of Nixon-Kissinger that tilted towards Islamabad as wrong and a historic mistake. Peter along with his mother and sister reminisced about their days in Dhaka, got together with old friends, were amazed to see so many changes and how Bangladesh had developed and matured. ‘Father also had a long awaited dream to see a happy, prosperous and democratic Bangladesh. He also helped a lot to recruit Bangladeshi Army in UN mission’, Peter told the newsmen.
Archer, currently working with the US Library of Congress, expressed his dissent over the US policy in Iraq, chanted that US should not have been hasty about the Iraqi issues and further urged the Bangladeshis to enhance their own government’s policies and stand.
As a tribute to that honest and courageous diplomat the American Center in Dhaka has dedicated its library in the name of Archer d'affaires of the US Embassy.
(Compiled by: Partha Prathim)
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Ain o Salish Kendro (ASK), is a legal aid and human rights resource centre. It provides free legal aid to the poor- women, workers and child workers...
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