Road in the name of Ziaur Rahman in Chicago, USA, objection of the Ambassador of Bangladesh
A report in the Chicago Tribune reported that the proposal to rename part of North Clark Street in the Rogers Park area of the city the honorary 'Ziaur Rahman Way' was approved by the Chicago City Council without any debate.
It was not a big event. Over the past 50 years, Chicago councilors, or 'aldermen', have given 1,500 such honorary names to various streets, writes Tribune reporter John Byrne.
But naming the road after the former president of Bangladesh has sparked international diplomatic squabbles, court cases and a recurrence of a long-running South Asian political feud on Chicago soil.
Alderman Joe More of the city's 49th Ward supported the naming in response to recommendations from several locals, one of whom donated ড 1,000 to his election expenses.
But in September, as Mr Moore was preparing to unveil the 'Ziaur Rahman Way' nameplate, he was contacted by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office.
The Bangladesh Embassy has contacted the United States Department of State. Ambassador Mohammad Ziauddin has protested against the honorary naming of the road after Ziaur Rahman.
Ambassador Ziauddin said that Ziaur Rahman did not deserve this honor.
Here, Ambassador Ziauddin mentions Ziaur Rahman's involvement in the 1975 assassination of President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune.
"We believe the United States stands for the rule of law and human rights," the ambassador said.
"Ziaur Rahman rules Bangladesh as a dictator and oppressor, and it is against American values to respect him," he said.
Despite the State Department's objections to the Bangladesh embassy, Joe More erected the 'Ziaur Rahman Way' nameplate on two blocks of North Clark Street.
He did some research on his own initiative and found that there are allegations of criminal activities against both sides of the politics of Bangladesh. However, considering everything, Ziaur Rahman seems to him to be a 'good guy' or a good man.
Mr. Moore later phoned Ambassador Ziauddin himself and gave the news.
"I told him I had a lot of objections when an airport in my country's capital was named after President Ronald Reagan. But I have overcome that anger, "said Mr. Moore.
Mr Moore said the section of Devon Avenue was renamed the Sheikh Mujib Way in 1997.
"So, the other side has recognition here," he said.
But the naming of 'Ziaur Rahman Way' has forced the Chicago City Council to appear in court.
A group in Chicago filed a lawsuit against the authorities, recommending the cancellation of Bangladeshi naming. They argued that Ziaur Rahman did not deserve this honor.
On Tuesday, however, the judge ruled in favor of the Chicago City Council and dismissed the case.
But the incident did not end there.
Al-Harun Hussein, the plaintiff's lawyer in the case, told the Chicago Tribune that his clients were considering re-filing the case.
The Bangladesh Embassy in Washington has also continued its activities. They have written letters to authorities in several major US cities expressing their objections to Ziaur Rahman, saying the former military ruler should not be given the same respect in any other city as in Chicago.
Controversy over the honorary naming of Chicago streets is a rare occurrence.
By such naming, aldermen of different wards want to please their political supporters, different organizations of the area, different national groups, business organizations or religious groups.
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