Pakistani-origin Swedish judge gets Bangladeshi citizenship

Pakistani-origin Swedish judge Syed Asif Shahkar, who was given the Liberation War Friendship Award, has been granted Bangladeshi citizenship. The government approved his request and provided him with the citizenship certificate on Wednesday (Nov 1), granting his wish to be buried in Bangladesh. Shahkar wrote a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeking Bangladeshi citizenship. "Today I have been reborn as a citizen of Bangladesh. Today I have been reborn as a citizen of the country and its people that I have loved since 1971," he said. "I am very happy because I can breathe my last among the martyred and valiant freedom fighters of Bangladesh," he told the state news agency. Shahkar, born in Panjab, was 22 years old in 1971. He protested, held rallies, wrote poems, and distributed leaflets in support of Bangladesh, and as a result, he faced hatred from his family, society, and the people of Pakistan. He was the general secretary of the Punjab Students' Union and a section of people from West Pakistan who protested against the Pakistani regime’s genocide. He was imprisoned as a 'traitor' and during the nine months of Liberation War, he endured mental and physical torture in Pakistan prison. He was released after Dec 16, 1971 with the victory of Bangladesh. Later, he worked as a producer for Pakistan Television for some time in Lahore, but he could not stay in Pakistan for long given his role in 1971. In 1977, he went to Sweden for political asylum and was later appointed a judge to the High Court Division of Sweden. After 41 years of independence, Justice Shahkar came to Bangladesh to receive the Liberation War Friendship Award in 2012 at the invitation of the Bangladesh government. Late President Md Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presented the award to him on Dec 15, 2012.
Published on: 2023-11-01 16:38:30.888347 +0100 CET