Posthumous citizenship for Peter Custers demanded

Country’s eminent citizens and left politicians on Monday urged the government to give posthumous citizenship for renowned Dutch journalist and author Peter Custers mentioning that he was a real friend of Bangladesh.
Peter Custers, who wanted to see a repression-free society in the country, died on September 3 last year in the Netherlands at the age 66.
At a commemoration meeting, they also urged the government to announced Peter as ‘Human rights defender and friend of Bangladesh’ as the Netherlands government in 2010 awarded him the designation.
Bangladesh’s friend Peter Custers commemoration committee organised a meeting on Peter Custers at Liberation War Museum at Segunbagich in the capital.
Presiding over the meeting, columnist Syed Abul Maksud said that Peter passed most of the time of his life in Bangladesh as he wanted a left revolution in this land and he researched on the creations of several Bangladeshis.
Communist Party of Bangladesh adviser Monjurul Ahsan Khan said that Peter never thought that he was a non-Bangladeshi national and he was a real declassed person which he proved by his activities.
‘Peter wanted a revolution and he was seriously interested to be a part of the revolution,’ he added.
CPB leader Haider Akbar Khan Rano said that it was not possible to find a friend of Bangladesh like Peter.
Peter’s friend Khorshed Ahmed, closely involved with Peter’s family,  informed that Peter before his death asked his family to donate two proportions of  his body ashes to Bangladesh and India and rest proportion for his country.
He said that proportion of ashes of Peter’s body would be sent to Bangladesh soon.
He said that Peter never joined any permanent job as he use to say that ‘his principal form of work is the political work.’
Garments workers leader Moshrefa Mishu said that Peter worked with labour class and he gave his highest efforts for ensuring the labour rights.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net