Asian neighbors expressed shock Saturday at the assassination of President Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh, whom they praised for his statesmanship and contributions to his country.
The United States voiced regret at Ziaur's death at the hands of a disgruntled army general and terrorist followers while U.N. Secretary General Kurt Waldheim reacted with 'horror and grief.'
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi said in a message to Acting President Abdus Sattar in Dacca 'we are shocked at the tragic news...'
She called Ziaur a man of 'statesmanlike vision' for his recent proposals on the establishment of an organization for South Asian regional cooperation and added:
'President Ziaur Rahman led his country with distinction, giving special attention to the problems of development.'
China reported the killing Saturday without comment, giving no indication as to whether a visit to Bangladesh planned for Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang would go ahead.
A Pakistani Foreign Office statement called the assassination 'a tragedy for Bangladesh' and 'a matter of great shock.' Pakistan, which once ruled the region as East Pakistan, said Ziaur had been 'leading his country towards prosperity' with an ambitious reform program.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Sue Pittman expressed the administration's 'regret' saying: 'We hope the assassination does not damage the democratic institutions of Bangladesh.'
United Nations Secretary General, Kurt Waldheim, in a cable to Sattar expressing his 'horror and grief at the tragedy,' said: 'The people and government have lost a wise ruler and the world an outstanding statesman.'
Kuwait's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Abdel Aziz Hussein said his country 'condemns any assassination' and received the news of Ziaur's death with 'deep regret.'
He praised Ziaur's efforts within the 42-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference to mediate a cease-fire between warring Iran and Iraq and said he always was an advocate for peace in the world.
