Dhaka, Dec. 4 -- My elder brother, James, who was born in 1943 with a genetic chromosomal abnormality known as Down Syndrome, and who had a severe learning disability, died in 1999 in the UK as a result of other people's negligence. He died of bronchial pneumonia because doctors who were treating him did not take the time and trouble to find out exactly what was wrong with him. He had been suffering with diarrhoea and they treated him for that without properly examining him at the residential care home in which he lived.

He died because he was unable to communicate with the doctors and his carers supposedly trained to look after people with such difficulties. His birthday, which he always celebrated with a lot of fun and laughter among f...