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Tributes to Abdul

4/ 3/2008

EMOTIONAL tributes were paid to a former councillor and 2,000 asbestos victims at a ceremony in Rochdale town centre.

Friends of Abdul Chowdry, who died in a road accident in Pakistan last July, unveiled a tree and park bench dedicated to his memory at the Memorial Gardens.

More than 50 members of his family, former colleagues and politicians, including council leader Councillor Alan Taylor and former Manchester Lord Mayor Afzal Khan attended the service to remember the 54-year-old.

He was a national health and safety commissioner and publicly expressed grave concerns about asbestos.

He also campaigned against controversial plans to build 600 properties on the site of his former workplace, the old Turner Brothers asbestos factory.

A minute’s silence was held in his memory and Jason Addy, from the Save Spodden Valley Campaign, addressed the crowd to pay tribute to Mr Chowdry.

The service poignantly coincided with Action Mesothelioma Day and Mr Addy vowed to continue to promote awareness of the dangers of asbestos.

He said: "Abdul was a wonderful man and his death came as a huge shock to everyone.

"He was a national health and safety officer but he still spoke out about the dangers of asbestos.

"He could have kept quiet about contamination but he didn’t and he stood up for what he believed in to protect all the people of Rochdale.

"We will never forget him and he will always remain in our thoughts."

The mayor, Councillor Peter Evans, and his wife, Helen, also attended the ceremony to pay tribute to Mr Chowdry.

Cllr Evans said: "Abdul was one of those people who cared and I’d like to thank everyone for coming today to remember him."

Another of his friends, Razia Shamim MBE, told the Observer that she will always miss him and was pleased to see so many people at the ceremony.

She said: "He was a fatherly figure and a great friend to me.

"When I received my MBE, he was very proud of me and when he died, my family lost a true friend. He was a gentleman."

Former Lord Mayor Afzal Khan also a close friend of Mr Choudhry added: "We all have lost a great person, who was truly dedicated to improving other peoples life’s. He was engaged with many projects between Britain and Pakistan and was a great role model. He will be greatly missed."

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