AL’s 71st founding anniversary today
Bangladesh Awami League, one of the oldest political parties of the country, is celebrating its 71st founding anniversary today on a limited scale amid the coronavirus outbreak.
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 struggle for freedom and the Liberation War.
To mark the anniversary, national and party flags will be hoisted atop all party offices, including the headquarters on the capital's Bangabandhu Avenue.
The day's programmes include placing of wreaths at the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the premises of Bangabandhu Bhaban in Dhanmondi in the morning.
A delegation of Awami League Central Working Committee will place wreaths at the grave of Bangabandhu in Gopalganj's Tungipara in the morning maintaining health guidelines.
Besides, doa and munajat will be offered in the afternoon, seeking eternal peace of departed souls of Bangabandhu and other martyrs of 1975 carnage, four national leaders, martyrs of 1971, martyrs of different movements, and those AL leaders who died of Covid-19.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the AL president, will address party leaders through videoconferencing from the Gono Bhaban at 5:00pm. A limited number of party leaders will be present at its Bangabandhu Avenue office maintaining social distancing and health guidelines.
Meanwhile, the PM yesterday greeted the countrymen and the party leaders, activists and well-wishers on the occasion of its founding anniversary.
In a message, she said none would remain poor and homeless in the country.
"On this day I recall with respect the greatest Bangalee of all times, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. I recall Awami League's founding president Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani and general secretary Shamsul Haque. I remember with respect Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy," she said.
To mark the day, the AL will hold a special webinar titled "Mass people's party Awami League" at 8:30pm today. It will be broadcast on the party's official Facebook page (www.facebook.com/awamileague.1949) and YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/myalbd).
The programme will also be aired live on private television channels Somoy Television and Bijoy TV, Facebook pages of several national dailies, including The Daily Ittefaq, Daily Samakal and Daily Jugantor, online portals bdnews24.com, banglanews24.com, and jagonews24.com.
In a statement, AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader has called upon the party units across the country and their associate and like-minded bodies to observe the AL's founding anniversary maintaining health guidelines and social distancing.
Political analysts and distinguished personalities observe that the AL's achievements are the achievements of Bangladesh and its people.
Historian, writer and folklorist Shamsuzzaman Khan said the AL became immensely popular as a political party by carrying out movements and protests against repression, exploitation, and subjugation by the then West Pakistani rulers on the Bangalee nation and other small ethnic groups.
The sacrifice of AL leaders and workers and their contributions to the nation would be ever remembered, he added.
Though the AL was floated as Awami Muslim League at the historical Rose Garden on KM Das Lane in Dhaka, the word "Muslim" was dropped from its name at the party's third council in 1955.
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