Epoch-making decision today: Syed Ashraf
Terming the Awami League's (AL) two-day 20th national council “historic”, General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam yesterday said an epoch-making decision would come on the concluding day today.
The council today will elect new leadership for the next three years. Addressing the council, he, however, did not elaborate about the decision. Earlier, he placed his report as general secretary, a role he undertook for a second term.
His address, in which he highly praised the party and AL President Sheikh Hasina's leadership, created an emotional atmosphere with the audience, including Hasina, intently listening to him in solemn silence.
He described the party to be a “feeling” created through the sacrifice of blood of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the four national leaders and hundreds of leaders since its inception and in democratic movements and the Liberation War.
Syed Ashraful, son of the country's first acting president Syed Nazrul Islam who was killed with the remaining national leaders in jail in 1975, also put emphasis on unity inside the party and called upon activists and leaders to remain united. Stating that the AL has been strengthened to an all-time high, he said, “If we remain united, there is no power in the world that will be able to silence the Awami League.”
He said a myriad of conspiracies were hatched to destroy the AL. The conspirators killed Bangabandhu, the four national leaders and hundreds of party leaders but could not destroy the party, he added.
“They will never be able to do so,” he said, adding that there was no scope for the AL to perish even if Hasina was not there and that as long as she was alive, Hasina would lead the party.
Syed Ashraful said he ran the party as general secretary with advice from the party president and the party did not witness any split during his tenure.
“I am a product of Awami League. I was born in an Awami League family. When Awami League gets hurt, it hurts my heart. If any Awami League worker is hurt, I can feel the pain,” he said.
“How do I feel this? ...my blood and that of those who have come here are the same. There is no difference...,” he added.
Terming the party chief, councillors, delegates and men of the party across the country as heirs of the martyrs' blood, he said, “Our blood is pure and tested.”
He said the AL was not comparable to any other political party in the world in terms of the sacrifice made for the country and its people.
Stating that the AL is moving forward under Hasina's leadership, Syed Ashraful called upon the members of the party to strengthen it.
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