To meet any president is once in a lifetime experience so meeting Mohammed Zillur Rahman, the president of Bangladesh while we were in Dhaka, was an honour the Curry Life Team did not expect.
The encounter took place at the white pinnacled Bangabhaban Presidential Palace where the president resides and entertains visiting foreign heads of state, intellectuals and politicians as part of his ceremonial duties.
We drew up outside in the gathering darkness to be greeted by armed guards and presidential staff and were led up the lantern lit pathway to the presidential front door and through chandeliered and echoing hallways. Curtains were whisked apart and doors opened with a flourish as we were ushered into the president’s inner sanctum – a plushly furnished room lined with sofas and paintings with a presidential looking seat at one end.
Seconds later, the president himself arrived, ceremonially assisted to his chair by members of staff. Zillur Rahman may look fragile but he is an astute and charming host. As we were served with fresh mango juice, tea from china teapots and canapés he expressed a genuine interest in our visit and the Taste of Britain Festival.
It was salutary to remember that this gentle man in both senses of the word, played an active part in the Bengali language movement of 1952 and the War of Liberation and was imprisoned by the army Junta after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, later becoming a minister in the Awami League government.
Only six years ago his wife, Ivy Rahman, the Women’s Affairs secretary of the Awami League, was killed in the Dhaka grenade attack; an extraordinary attempt to kill the party leader, Sheikh Hasina by Harkat ul Hihad al Islami terrorists and an event that shook Bangladesh to its core. Ten years ago, President Rahman had a heart by-pass operation in the UK and is now obviously enjoying a new lease of life and some modest globe-trotting, having visited many different countries during his presidency of two years.
We spoke briefly about food and culture of Bangladesh and he expressed pride in the fact that the chefs of Bangladeshi and Indian origin were so successful in the UK, congratulating Jewel, Partha and Shahidur on their achievements before we took our leave.
Here are some tips about presidential protocol for future reference:
- Don’t speak until addressed.
- Never extend your hand for a hand shake until the president does himself.
- Under no circumstances should you touch the president.
This we learned after the visit!
