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AL-COUNCIL-FESTIVITY
Suhrawardy Udyan wears festive look marking AL council
DHAKA, Dec 20, 2019 (BSS)- Historic Suhrawardy Udyan today wore a festive look as hundreds of thousands gleeful Awami League men thronged the venue of the party’s two-day 21st national council, turning the entire populace into a breathtaking gathering of inspiring many to attain great political expectations.
The huge crowds betraying enthusiasm, political hope and inspirational ethos gave a great boost to the council ground accommodating a large number of Awami League leaders, workers, councilors, delegates, various professional groups and visitors.
The entire venue of the Awami League national council was illuminated and decorated with banners and festoons inscribing the brief history and tradition of AL as well as the government’s development activities.
Small and big portraits of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, four national leaders and veteran politicians, who had contributions to the country’s Liberation War, were put on display in and around the venue. The site reminded many of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s landmark 7th March speech and surrender of Pakistani troops in 1971.
The Udyan and its adjoining areas were humming with activities as hundreds of councilors, delegates and distinguished guests converged on the venue braving biting cold.
The theme of the council is “On the way to implement Bangabandhu’s dream of Sonar Bangla under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership, being advance irresistibly: We are Bangladesh”.
The main stage of the council, with 102 feet in length and 40 feet in width, likened a ‘Boat’ sailing on the Padma River.
Portrait of National Memorial is on the stage and behind the memorial, Bangabandhu and Sheikh Hasina’s portraits are also there.
A total of 50 thousands councilors, delegates, leaders and activists are participating in the council. Some 7,000 councilors joined the council.
Stringent security vigil were enforced in the capital coinciding with the council while Awami League and some 2,000 trained party volunteers have been mobilized to ensure discipline and security in and around the council venue.
The main council session will be held on December 21 at Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh to be attended by over 7,000 councilors from across the country.
The prime minister entered the blissfully decorated venue of the council amidst ecstatic slogans of the thousands of delegates and councilors.
Sheikh Hasina, also the AL president, opened the two-day council of the party by hoisting the national flag and releasing balloons and pigeons at the venue.
AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader raised the party flag and the national anthem was sung.
Besides, presidents of all organizational district units of the party raised the national flag while general secretaries raised party flag simultaneously soon after the premier hoisted the national standard.
At the beginning of the first day’s council, a colourful cultural function titled “Tomaroi Joy Hok” was staged under the supervision of the cultural sub-committee of the party.
Through the nearly 45-minute cultural function, the history of the 1952 Language Movement, the Liberation War of 1971, achievements of the Awami League governments led by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his able daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina were projected.
Scriptures from holy books of different religions were recited on the occasion.
The main function started with an obituary reference read out by AL Office Secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap.
Party General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader presented his report while AL Publicity and Publication Secretary and Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud conducted the function.
Earlier, Convener of Reception Committee for the council Mohammed Nasim greeted councilors and delegates who came from across the country with flowers.
Ministers, PM’s advisers, senior leaders of AL and its front organisations, leaders of different political and socio-cultural organisations, dignitaries and diplomats were present at the function.
Diplomats of different countries, including the USA, the UK, Japan, Germany, North Korea, India, South Korea, the EU, China, Vietnam, Iraq, Palestine and Thailand, and the representatives of Democracy International and the Department for International Development (DFID) joined the council.
The entire programme was showed live on 28 LED screens at the venue.
The two-day council is also being live streamed from the verified facebook page of the party, opening up an opportunity for the party leaders, activists and others to get connected online with Suhrawardi Uddyan.
This coverage will continue till the closing session in the next day. AL sub-committee on publicity and publication opened a webpage to air the live-stream of the council marking the occasion.
Center for Research and Information (CRI), the research wing of the ruling Awami League (AL), came up with an innovative way to portray the history of the party through 10 different installations at the council venue. The arrangement of the CRI added a new dimension to the council.
AL subcommittee on health prepared 12 first aid medical centers with one hundred physicians. Around 50,000 leaders and workers were provided lunch boxes on the occasion.
The last council of the Awami League was held on October 22-23 in 2016. Sheikh Hasina was elected president while Obaidul Quader general secretary in the council.
On June 23, 1949, from a meeting of the supporters of Hussein Shaheed Suhrawardy at the Rose Garden of KM Das Lane, Old Dhaka, a new political party named Awami Muslim League was formed.
Coming out from Muslim League, progressive leaders and workers formed Awami Muslim League. It was the first opposition party in the then East Bengal (later renamed East Pakistan).
BSS/MKD/KU/1950 HRS