After facing debacle in four city corporation elections, the ruling Awami League, on Sunday, staged what appeared to be an election campaign in the city on the occasion of its 64th founding anniversary, ensuring participation of several thousand leaders and workers of the party. Marking the founding anniversary, Bangladesh Awami League and its front organisations brought out a colourful procession from the Institution of Engineers to the Bangabandhu Bhaban at Dhanmondi-32, parading different city streets.
Prior to the mass procession, a brief rally was held, where Awami League leaders called upon party workers to ensure victory in the next general elections due early next year.
They urged people to vote for what they called the country’s oldest political party, the Awami League, in the next national polls, to save the country’s democracy, independence and sovereignty.
Awami League advisory council member Tofail Ahmed, presidium member Begum Matia Chowdhury, joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif, state minister for law Advocate Quamrul Islam, organising secretary Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, among others, also spoke at the brief rally, with city AL acting president MA Aziz in the chair.
Speaking at the rally, Tofail Ahmed said, “The sun of free Bengal set after the defeat of Siraj ud-Daulah in the mango grove of Plassey on June 23. Likewise, Awami League chose the day as its birthday to free the people of Bengal.”
“The Language Movement, the War of Liberation, the 1969 mass upsurge, the general election in the 1970s—all took place under the leadership of Awami League. We freed our country from the clutches of the occupation forces at the clarion call of Bangabandhu,” he added.
“Bangabandhu wanted to build a non-communal Bangladesh. We will once again bring Awami League to power by uniting the people under the leadership of Bangabandhu’s able successor Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Let the day be our pledge,” Tofail asserted.
Agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury said, “Awami League’s history is the history of Bengalis, the Liberation War and the Language Movement. Bangladesh has achieved another win against Myanmar in the diplomatic fight. None can change this history.”
Addressing the rally, Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif called upon the pro-liberation forces to remain united to return the people their voting rights under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina.
“AL is the party that fought for the country’s liberation. Whatever progress Bangladesh has made is the contribution of AL,” he said.
Advocate Quamrul Islam called upon party leaders and workers to prepare for victory in the next general elections, forgetting intra-party feuds.
“Get ready for the next general elections. We will bring Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to power again,” he added.
Thousands of leaders and activists of AL and its front organisations thronged the streets from the city’s Bangabandhu Avenue to the Shahbagh intersection to participate in the mass procession.
They were carrying banners of different front organisations and chanting slogans like “Suvo, suvo, suvo din, Awami League-er janmo din,” “Joy Bangla, joy Bangabandhu,” “Jamaat-Shibir-Rajakar ei muherte Bangla chaar,” etc.
Earlier in the day, leaders and activists of AL and its front organisations paid tribute to the father of the nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, at the Bangabandhu Bhaban, at Dhanmondi in the city.
-With The Independent input
