DHAKA, – Bangladesh Awami League (AL), one of the country’s oldest political parties, will celebrate its 70th founding anniversary in a befitting manner tomorrow.
Founded on this day in 1949, Awami League has been transformed into an organisation of the masses by leading all the democratic-political-social-cultural movements including the long arduous struggle for freedom and the War of Liberation.
The party has drawn up an elaborate programme to celebrate the founding anniversary across the country.
The anniversary programme will begin tomorrow by placing wreaths at the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the premises of Bangabandhu Bhaban at Dhanmondi at 8:30 am.
To mark the anniversary, national and party flags will be hoisted atop all party offices including the central office.
A delegation of Awami League Central Working Committee (ALCWC) led by Presidium member Lt Col (retd) Muhammad Faruq Khan will place wreaths at the mausoleum of Bangabandhu at Tungipara in Gopalganj at 11 am.
The delegation will include ALCWC member Abul Hasnat Abdullah, Agriculture and Cooperatives Secretary Faridunnahar Laily, Religious Affairs Secretary Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, Labour and Manpower Affairs Secretary Habibur Rahman Siraj, and ALCWC members SM Kamal Hossain and Marufa Akhter Popi.
A discussion meeting will be held at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) here at 4pm on June 24. Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will chair the discussion.
Political analysts and distinguished personalities think that the achievements of Awami League are the achievements of Bangladesh and its people.
AL Presidium Member and 14-party alliance spokesman Mohammed Nasim said Awami League is not only the oldest and biggest political party in the country but also the mainstream of democracy and secular ideologies.
He said since its inception, the party has been taking forward the country’s socio-political trend uninterruptedly through different movements and struggles over the seven decades.
Nasim said Awami League is one of the secular political parties that led the national movement for emancipation of the Bangalees.
It was Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who had first initiated the work to build a secular Bangladesh, he said.
Historian, writer and folklorist Shamsuzzaman Khan said Awami League became an immensely popular political party by carrying out movements, struggles and protests against repression, exploitation and subjugation by West Pakistani rulers on Banglaee nation and other small ethnic groups.
The sacrifice of Awami League leaders and workers and their contributions to the nation will be ever remembered, he added.
Though the country’s biggest political party was floated as Awami Muslim League at the historical Rose Garden at KM Das Lane in Dhaka, the word ‘Muslim’ was dropped at its third council in 1955.
In a statement today, Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader, also road transport and bridges minister, called upon the party units across the country and their associate and like-minded bodies to observe the founding anniversary of the party in befitting manner.
