AL founding anniversary today

Awami League, the oldest and largest political party in Bangladesh, is celebrating its 72nd foundation day today in a restricted manner amid the pandemic.

The anniversary programmes will begin in Dhaka's Dhanmondi Road-32 in the morning with the hoisting of the national and party flags at Bangabandhu Bhaban and the AL central office, reports UNB.

The AL and its affiliated organisations will pay homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreaths at his portrait at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum.

The ruling party will also hoist the national and party flags at its offices across the country.

A delegation from the Awami League Central Working Committee will place wreaths at the mausoleum of Bangabandhu in his birthplace in Gopalganj's Tungipara at 10:00am. AL presidium member Lt Col Muhammad Faruq Khan (retired), Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Organisational Secretary SM Kamal Hossain, Mirza Azam, Shahabuddin Farazi, and Syed Abdul Awal Shamim will attend the programme.

Besides, a discussion programme marking the day will be held at 4:00pm at the party's central office on Bangbhabandhu Avenue. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the AL president, will attend the programme virtually.

Yesterday, the PM issued a message marking the founding anniversary of the party.

Party General Secretary Obaidul Quader has already called upon all its leaders, activists and followers to organise programmes in a limited manner maintaining all health safety rules.

The AL began its journey on June 23 in 1949, when a young, secular and progressive section of the Muslim League formed the East Pakistan Awami Muslim League, at a meeting at the historic Rose Garden on KM Das Lane in Dhaka's Tikatuli.

Maulana Abdul Hamid Bhashani was elected as the founding president, and Shamsul Hoque was named the general secretary.

During the Second National Council meeting of the party in July 1953, Bhashani was re-elected president, and the Father of the Nation was named the new general secretary.

BSS adds: The AL saw seven chiefs and nine secretaries since its founding in 1949.

Hasina has been serving as the longest serving president of the party for highest nine consecutive terms for the last four decades since her election to the position on February 16, 1981.

So far, nine leaders served the AL as general secretary with Bangabandhu and Zillur Rahman serving in that position for the highest four terms each.

Bangabandhu became the AL president on January 25, 1966 and steered the party for eight years till January 18, 1974.