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BSS-41
AL-BIRTHDAY-FOREIGN-GREETINGS-LEAD
Foreign leaders, parties congratulate AL on 71st founding anniversary
DHAKA, June 23, 2020 (BSS) – The leaders of many countries and political parties have sent congratulatory messages to Bangladesh Awami League (AL) on its 71st founding anniversary which is being observed today.
In a congratulatory message, the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) expressed its heartfelt congratulation to AL on the occasion.
Pol Staut, Chairman of Socialist Party Beveren, Flanders, Belgium said, “It is our great pleasure to offer our heartfelt congratulations to Bangladesh’s oldest political party, Bangladesh Awami League, which was established on June 23 in 1949.”
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s daughter, International Peace Leader Sheikh Hasina is working to develop the country in all fields and playing an important role in international peace, environment, solidarity and development, he added.
Europe gave full supports for the independence of Bangladesh and Bangladeshis a good trade and development partner of European Union and Belgium, he said, adding, “The history and principles of our socialist party in Belgium Flanders and Bangladesh Awami League are very similar.”
Expressing her congratulations, Elena Karlström, chairperson of the Left party Vänsterpartiet in Stockholm of Sweden, said, “Sweden was one of the first countries to recognize the newly formed Bangladesh in 1971. Relations between Sweden and Bangladesh today mainly consist of a relatively extensive development cooperation and a growing trade exchange. Bangladesh has become a rapidly growing market for Swedish business and industry.”
She said in the post-liberation Bangladesh, Awami League became rudderless with the most heinous assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975 and the party was treacherously barred from making contribution to the nation.
Awami League has led the national movement for emancipation of the Bengalese, she added.
AL has always remembered Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with respect who was the first to initiate the work to build a secular Bangladesh, she said.
The Central Committee of the Worker’s Party of Korea extended warm congratulation and heartfelt greetings to the Bangladesh Awami League on the occasion of its 71st founding anniversary.
The Committee for Friendship of the Social Democratic Party of Austria also rendered best wishes for AL on the occasion.
Fine Gael, a liberal-conservative political party in Ireland, also said in its congratulatory message, that AL played a key role in the independence of Bangladesh and different democratic movements.
German politician Manfred Pentz greeted Al on the occasion saying Christian Democratic Party and the German AL are maintaining sound contact and exchanged views on several matters in the past.
Lauding Bangabandhu, he, in his message, also quoted Bangabandhu’s line and that was “My greatest strength is the love of my people, my greatest weakness is I love them too much.”
Based on Bangabandhu’s line, he rendered best wishes for the people of Bangladesh and praised all the political activities of AL at home and abroad.
Italian social-democratic political party (Partito Democratico) leader Ugo Papi said that on June 23 in 1949, AL party was born under the principles of democracy, nationalism, socialism and secularism.
He said on March 1971, Bangabandhu gave one of his most important speech declaring Bangladesh “de facto” independence and the speech was: “This time the struggle is for our liberation, this time the struggle is for our independence.”
The aforesaid speech of Bangabandhu resounded in the hearts of millions of people not only in Bangladesh, he said , adding : ” The speech gave and traced the path for the future leaders of your nations under the banner of the Awami League.
After almost fifty years Bangladesh is now considered to be one of the developing world’s greatest success stories, he said, adding that the pace of progress and development in all major economic and social development indicators have picked up marked pace especially since 2009, when the Bangladesh Awami League formed government under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
He added that the party is ready to keep the promise to turn Bangladesh into a middle income country by 2021.
BSS/PR/SRH/RY/20:09 hrs