Dhaka, Bangladesh- (BBN)– The U.S. embassy in Dhaka will open a condolence book for the public to sign in commemoration of the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA), an embassy statement said on Thursday.
Edward M. Kennedy, youngest brother of the late President John F. Kennedy and the liberal lion of the Senate, died at his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts on Aug. 25 after a battle with brain cancer. He was 77-years-old.
The book will be available at the Archer K. Blood American Center Library at House 110, Road 27, Banani, Dhaka, on Sunday through Wednesday from 09 a.m. to 3 p.m. (local time), according to the statement.
In a statement issued by the White House, President Barack Obama said: “Sen. Edward M. Kennedy was not only one of the greatest senators of our time, but one of the most accomplished Americans ever to serve our democracy.”
In recognition of Kennedy’s contribution to the country, President Obama said: “Over the past half-century, nearly every major piece of legislation that has advanced the civil rights, health, and economic well-being of the American people bore his name and resulted from his efforts. With his passing, an important chapter in our American story has come to an end.”
Kennedy was an early and vocal supporter of Bangladeshi independence. He visited refugee camps in West Bengal, India during the 1971 war and became one of the first international leaders to visit Bangladesh after liberation.
BBN/SS/SI/AD-28August09-1:55 am (BST)
