Hasina labels AL largest, strongest party in Bangladesh

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday claimed that the present Awami League party is the largest and strongest political party of Bangladesh and she revitalized over the years to reach the party to that position, reports United News of Bangladesh.

“We suffered splits among us on one or two occasions even after that (her return to Bangladesh in 1981). I rejuvenated the party following the rifts. I roamed throughout the country and revitalized it gradually. So, today Bangladesh Awami League is the biggest and strongest organization in Bangladesh,” she said.      

Sheikh Hasina, the president of the ruling party, said this while addressing the inaugural session of the 21st triennial national council-2019 of Awami League in the city.

The two-day council kicked off amid much enthusiasm and festivity at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan in the afternoon.

Hasina said there were many efforts to annihilate Awami League completely since Pakistan period. The attacks came on Awami League during the regimes of Yahya Khan, Ayub Khan, Ziaur Rahman, HM Ershad and even Khaleda Zia, she said.

But AL could not be obliterated as the ideology-based organization was built at the hands of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. “Though it was damaged for the time being, it could not be destroyed completely,” she added.

Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the council of the country’s oldest political party at 3:05pm by playing the national anthem, hoisting the national flag and the party flag, and releasing pigeons and balloons.

She hoisted the national flag while General Secretary Obaidul Quader raised the party flag. Quader placed the report of the general secretary while organizing secretaries placed reports of eight divisions after adopting obituary references read out by AL office secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap.

AL Publicity and Publication Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud and Deputy Publicity Secretary Aminul Islam jointly conducted the inaugural session.

Some 15,000 councilors and delegates took part in the council. Leaders of other political parties and representatives of various professions, diplomats of different countries including the USA, the UK, India, China, South Korea, the European Union, Germany, Iraq, Palestine, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam also joined the inaugural session.

The council session will be held at the Institute of Engineers on Saturday to elect the next committee of the ruling party for a three-year term. Some 7,500 councilors from across the country will attend the council session.

Kamruzzaman