American Centre Library after name of Archer K Blood: His son deplores bombers

Dhaka, Dec 13 (BDNEWS) – Son of a valiant American diplomat, who was the consul general of the US Embassy during the War of Liberation, Tuesday deplored that those who set bombs nowadays in Bangladesh, are cowards.

"I have heard about bombings and fundamentalism here and those who do not want the people think freely, who does not like girl's education and so on. My father would hope that every Bangladeshi, every journalist can speak freely and express their opinion and universities should be free and an open forum for ideas," Peter Blood, son of former consul general of the US Embassy Archer Kent Blood, told a news conference.

Peter, his mother Margaret and sister Shireen are now visiting Bangladesh as the US Embassy in Dhaka Tuesday named the American Centre Library in honor of Archer K Blood. Both Margaret and Shireen were present at the news conference that was also attended by Deputy Director of the American Centre Dr Michelle L Jones and American Centre official AA Ahmed Ali.

Archer Blood was senior signatory to a dissent cable written during the brutal military crackdown on the Bangladeshi eastern wing. The "Blood Telegram" alerted President Richard Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to the "selective genocide" and urged them to pressure Pakistan to stop the killing.

Replying queries of journalists, Peter Blood, who is a senior researcher at the Library of Congress in the USA, said Kissinger was wrong at that period and what he did after getting Archer's telegram had made "no sense".

"The judgment of the Nixon administration aired at that time was wrong for not condemning the incidents here," he said.

He avoided a direct answer whether the USA should apologize for its role during the war. "You ask someone in the administration."

Asked what he felt after coming to Bangladesh when collaborators of the Pakistani military juntas are now in the state power and carrying the national flag on their cars, Peter's voice came down and he said he does not want to make any comment. "It is you who decided to vote them," he said in sober voice.

Margaret and Peter both recalled their memories how they saw Dhaka in those time and the changes that were made in course of time. "Archer K Blood was here at a difficult time of Bangladesh's birth. He would be proud to see democracy here functioning and they are developed. The people are performing their citizen's duty."

"He would be more happy to see that Bangladesh is the number one peace keepers in the world although there are many challenges," Peter said.

Peter Blood delivered a short speech that he ended with the slogan "Joy Bangla".

Later, Peter and his family members attended a function arranged at the American Centre premises where the diplomat's proud son made his personal reflections on the birth of Bangladesh.

US Charge d' Affaires Judith A Chammas, who was present at the function, said one of the basic tenets of any democracy – Bangladeshi or American – is the people's right to information.

"Information is the lifeblood of democracy: if people are barred from reading, exploring, studying, making their own decisions about their lives and the world, democracy withers and dies. It seems fitting that the American Centre Library be named after Consul General Blood, a writer, a reader, and a tireless advocate of the people's right to know," she said.

BDNEWS/1829 hrs