Ruling Awami League leaders yesterday pledged that they would continue working together to make Bangladesh a prosperous and developed country by resisting the evil forces and foiling conspiracies.

Addressing a rally in front of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) before bringing out a Victory Procession in the capital, they also alleged that evil, anti-liberation, and anti-democracy forces were still conspiring against the country.

The party brought out the mammoth procession marking the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh's victory in the Liberation War and the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The colourful procession paraded through different city streets from in front of Suhrawardy Udyan to Bangabandhu Memorial Museum on Road-32 in Dhanmondi.

Speaking at the rally, AL advisory council member Amir Hossain Amu said, "Evil forces, including communal and anti-liberation forces, are still hatching conspiracies against Bangladesh. We will continue along the path of development through facing these evil forces politically."

AL presidium members Matia Chowdhury, Abdur Razzaque, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Abdur Rahman and AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, joint general secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Dipu Moni, Hasan Mahmud and AFM Bahauddin Nasim, organising secretaries and central leaders as well as top leaders of the party's Dhaka north and south city units addressed the rally.

Thousands of leaders and activists of the AL and its front and associate bodies took part in the rally. Later, they joined the Victory Procession which paraded through different streets in Shahbagh, Elephant Road and Kalabagan areas before reaching Bangabandhu Memorial Museum.

They carried banners, festoons, huge national and party flags, portraits of Bangabandhu and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Many of them boarded decorated trucks, covered vans, horse-drawn carts and played patriotic songs on loudspeakers.

The AL leaders and activists started pouring into the rally venue since noon, a couple of hours before the scheduled start of the rally.

Meanwhile, commuters suffered delays as traffic was disrupted in some parts of the city, including Suhrawardy Udyan, Kakrial intersection, Shahbagh, Kalabagan and Dhanmondi areas, due to the rally and procession by the ruling party.

Traffic jams were also seen in lanes and bylanes. Many patients who visited Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Birdem Hospital and Dhaka Medical College Hospital had to suffer badly due to tailbacks.

Yesterday, the AL in a press release expressed gratitude to the people and the party men for making the Victory Procession a success.

The party also expressed sincere sorrow for the traffic congestion in the capital due to spontaneous participation of a lakh people in the programme.