United News of Bangladesh

Right to Freedom, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing democracy and human rights worldwide, will host a memorial celebration of life honouring its Founding President, Ambassador William B. Milam, on Friday at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The event will also be streamed live and recorded for those unable to attend in person. Ambassador Milam, who passed away earlier this year at the age of 89, dedicated seven decades to public service, scholarship, and the advancement of democratic values around the world. Born in Bisbee, Arizona, in 1936, he graduated from Stanford University in 1959 before beginning a distinguished career as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer. Over the course of his career, Ambassador Milam served in postings across Africa, Europe, and South Asia and was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh in 1990 and later to Pakistan, where he served until his retirement in 2001. He led the U.S. delegation that negotiated the 1994 Desertification Treaty and worked extensively on issues of nuclear nonproliferation, economic development, and free and fair elections. Following the events of September 11, 2001, he was recalled to public service to help establish an economic reconstruction program for Afghanistan. In retirement, Ambassador Milam continued to write and research as a Senior Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center, and in 2010 published Bangladesh & Pakistan: Flirting with Failure in South Asia with Oxford University Press. He founded Right to Freedom, with Ambassador Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey, an organization created to give voice to those who could not be heard in their own countries. "It is with hearts full of both grief and gratitude that we invite the public to join us in celebrating the extraordinary life of Ambassador William B. Milam," said Jon Danilowicz, President of Right to Freedom’s Board of Directors. "He was, to so many of us, more than a distinguished diplomat; he was a steady friend, a generous mentor, and a believer in the enduring power of freedom and dignity for all people." The memorial will bring together family, friends, colleagues, and admirers from around the world to share memories and reflect on Ambassador Milam's remarkable life and legacy, said a media release on Thursday.

Two former US diplomats at a discussion in Dhaka have highlighted the importance of the right to freedom, protection of human rights and democracy, noting that rights come with responsibilities. They said that this is an exciting time in Bangladesh and they want to be part of that with their further contribution as they are devoted actually to human rights and democracy in Bangladesh through their US-based Right to Freedom (R2F), a human rights advocacy organisation dedicated to defending democracy. Ambassador William B Milam, a former US diplomat and specialist in South Asia and West Africa, who served as US Ambassador to Bangladesh and Pakistan; and Jon F. Danilowicz, a retired Department of State senior foreign service officer with extensive experience in South Asia, spoke as the discussion chaired and conducted by President of Cosmos Foundation and renowned scholar-diplomat and former Advisor on Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh Caretaker Government Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury. Cosmos Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Bangladeshi conglomerate Cosmos Group, in partnership with the Right to Freedom hosted the session titled “The Role of Human Rights Groups: Before and After July Revolution” on Wednesday evening. Dhaka Courier's Executive Editor Shayan S Khan and Research Associate of Cosmos Foundation and Bay of Bengal Institute Md Umran Chowdhury spoke as discussants. Cosmos Group Deputy Managing Director Masud Jamil Khan delivered welcome remarks.  Dr Iftekhar said a decade and half of predatory politics had snuffed out all the elements of right to speak freely, think freely, and which was swept away by a torrential tidal wave of public protest, which is called the monsoon revolution. The foreign affairs expert said Bangladesh will need to navigate, oftentimes, with the greatest circumspection through rough seas and even troubled waters. “Our polity, that is Bangladesh polity, will need to design the kind of institution it sees as best suited to give fruition to our national goals and aspirations,” he said. The foreign affairs expert said democracy, human rights and pluralism are values that provide the bedrock of their civic existence. “And there is no doubt that a nation with Professor Mohammed Yunus at the helm will make the best endeavours to evolve a consensual approach, as he says, to its perceived national self-interest,” Dr Iftekhar said. He said the path can be long and arduous. We all know that we have a hill to climb and waiting will not make it any smaller.

The United States has said civil society voices in every country are crucial to upholding people’s right to freedom and dignity. US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas hosted a dinner on Sunday night listened to the work of human rights advocates in Bangladesh. Lu left Dhaka early Monday (2am) wrapping up his quick visit with a series of meetings. Read more: Lu pledges US administration's continuous support, cooperation for all future efforts