Bangladesh Awami League, a pioneer in practicing democracy within party

Bangladesh Awami League, a pioneer in practicing democracy within party

July 23,2009
Bangladesh Awami League, country's oldest political party, has given the nation not only the taste of freedom and sovereignty but also set a true example of practicing democracy within the party through regular councils amid all adversities. Over the last 60 years since its inception in 1949, the party came across many hurdles and even risks on the life of its leaders and now fully prepared to hold the 20th council to elect the new captain compatible to the 21st century. This is the party which awakened the nation for self-rule, clinched the historic victory in 1970 general election and organized the Great War of Liberation under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Awami League was born on June 23, 1949 at a meeting in the city's Rose Garden making Moulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani and Shamsul Huq as the president and general secretary. The responsibility of the party's general secretary was vested upon young and energetic Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1952 when Shamsul Huq fell sick in jail.
In July 1953, party's 'Plagiary Session' was held at Mukul (Azad) Cinema Hall where Moulana Bhasani and Sheikh Mujib were elected full-fledged president and general secretary. Since then, the party continued its practice in electing leadership both at central and local levels with the support of its grassroots workers amid all topsy-turvy situations in the political arena.
The party's 3-day council was held on October 21, 22, 23 in 1955 and Awami League abjured the word "Muslim" renaming it only as 'Awami League'. The council re-elected Moulana Bhasani and Sheikh Mujib as the president and general secretary. The party's historic Kagmari council was held in Tangail on February 7 and 8 in 1957.
In its another council in Dhaka on June 12 and 14, Moulana Bhasani and Sheikh Mujib were elected president and general secretary of the party for the last time. Moulana Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish became the party president when Bhasani resigned from Awami League on July 24, 1957. In 1964, Sheikh Mujib rejuvenated the party when Tarkabagish and himself were elected president and general secretary.
In the party council held on March 1, 1966, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was elected president of the party while his close associate Tajuddin Ahmed was made general secretary. In 1967, Syed Nazrul Islam was elected acting president and Amena Begum as acting general secretary as Sheikh Mujib and Tajuddin Ahmed were sent to jail by the then Pakistani regime. Mujib and Tajuddin were again elected president and general secretary of the party in the council held on August 1, 1969.
After the Independence, the first council of the party was held in 1972 electing Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Zillur Rahman as president and general secretary of Bangladesh Awami League. In 1974, Bangabandhu stepped down from the party leadership making AHM Quamruzzaman as president and Zillur Rahman as the general secretary for the second time.
During the fragile political situation after the brutal assassination of Bangabandhu, a convening committee led by Syeda Zohra Tajuddin was constituted in a special council. Abdul Malek Ukil and Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury were elected party's president and general secretary in the 14th council in 1978.
Bangabandhu's eldest daughter Sheikh Hasina was elected as the party president in the 15th council of the party in February, 1981 while Abdur Razzak as the general secretary. In the 16th council on October 1, 1886, Sheikh Hasina was re- elected party chief and Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury as the general secretary.
The party's 17th council held on September 19 and 20, 1992, Sheikh Hasina was re-elected as the president of the party and Zillur Rahman as the general secretary. After coming to power in 1996 for the first time following the assassination of Bangabandhu, Awami League held its 18th council in May 1997, re-electing Sheikh Hasina and Zillur Rahman as the party's president and general secretary.
In the 19th council on December 26, 2002, Awami League made Sheikh Hasina president again and Abdul Jalil as the new general secretary.
Awami League leaders and workers are eagerly waiting to greet the new leadership to be elected in the party's 20th council at Bangabandhu International Conference Center on Friday, who would ably lead them to implement the election pledges of the party in line with vision 2021.