Lord Avebury remembered by the Bengali community

By Ansar Ahmed Ullah :

Following the death of Lord Eric Avebury, the UK Nirmul Committee
(International Forum for Secular Bangladesh) organised a condolence meetingon Thursday 25 Feb, 6pm at the Montefiore Centre, East London in memory of
the Lord who tirelessly worked for the betterment of Bangladesh.

The meeting was chaired by Nirmul Committee’s central executive member Ansar Ahmed Ullah and conducted by UK Nirmul Committee’s Asst Gen Secretary Jamal
Ahmed Khan. Those who spoke and paid their respect to Lord Avebury were UK Awami League
president Sultan Shariff, UK Nirmul Committee’s secretary Syed Anas Pasha, Montefiore Centre’s director Aziz Chowdhury, Nirmul Committee’s research
secretary Matiar Chowdhury, Nirmul Committee’s organising secretary Ruby Haq, Cllr Rahima Rahman, Mohila Awami League’s vice president Husneara
Matin, founding joint convenor of UK Nirmul Committee Sanu Miah, Poet Mojibul Haq Moni, Nirmul Committee’s treasurer Shah Mustafijur Rahman Belal,
Nirmul Committee’s press secretary Anam Haq, Nirmul Committee’s organising
secretary Ahad Chowdhury Babu, activist  Mujibur Rahman Jashim, JASOD’s  Redwan Khan, youth activist Sarwar Kabir, Sajib Bhuiyan and Shah Foyez
amongst others.

Speakers at the gathering said Lord Avebury was a true friend of Bangladesh. He had worked tirelessly for the rights of ethnic and religious minorities of Bangladesh. He will be remembered for his work with the International
Bangladesh Foundation established in 2005, specifically to highlight the human rights situation of minority communities and secular activists. He wasa strong advocate of Bangladesh war crimes trial. In addition Lord Avebury
was a Co-Chair of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission.

His daughter Victoria Lubbock who was unable to attend the meeting in a message said, ‘Unfortunately, I can’t make Thursday but would be very grateful if you could pass on our family’s considerable pride at the work
and involvement Eric had with the Bengali community. From time to time, I helped Eric with his administration and filing so I know at first hand, how significant and necessary he felt his work with the Bengali community to be.
I only hope that there are others, equally determined and tenacious as Eric, willing and able to carry on this important work. We are truly grateful for the affection and respect shown to my father, although Eric himself was so
very modest, I’m not sure what he would have made of this!’

Lord Avebury passed away on 14 February. Lord Avebury, his full name Eric Reginald Lubbock, passed away peacefully at his home in south London, at the
age of 87, attended by his wife, Lindsay, and other family members. He was, suffering from myelofibrosis, a form of blood cancer, for more than a year.
Lord Avebury, born on 29 September 1928 was a British politician. He served as the Liberal Member of Parliament from 1962 to 1970, and served in the
House of Lords, having inherited the title of Baron Avebury in 1971. In1999, when most hereditary peers were removed from the House of Lords, he
was elected by his fellow Liberal Democrats to remain.