Tribute to President Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed

I was deeply saddened to read about the passing of Former President and Chief Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed. It wasn’t the kind of news I welcome.

While I cannot claim to have known the learned intellectual and scholar for any great length of time, the gentleman, from all reports, not just mine, he most definitely was a gentleman. 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 Shahabuddin 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 arranged the pleasant historical happenstance.

The meeting took place at the President’s residence The Bangabhaban. It was a semi-formal, semi informal affair. Its purpose was for me to present the revered president with a copy of the Bangabandhu tribute poster I had produced. The poster 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 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.

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 much craved knowledge on Bangladesh rushing towards me from a reliable source.

Unfortunately, it was our only meeting, but his love for Bangladesh and Bangabandhu left a lasting impression upon me in ways I cannot express. Privileged are those who have met him... I know I am.

To this very day I relive the beautiful memory of our get-together as I do the rounds of the park in Gulshan named in his honour, President Justice Shahabuddin 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 poster.)

SA/