The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Awami League will hold a series of programmes in observance of its 59th founding anniversary day today.

The central leaders of the party will inaugurate the programme by placing wreaths at the portrait of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Bangabandhu Memorial Trust at Dhanmondi at 8:00 AM.

Another group of central leaders will place wreaths at the graveyard of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Tungipara at the same time.

The Awami Muslim League, which turned into Bangladesh Awami League, was established in 1949 at the 'Rose Garden' in Dhaka city. Later the party led the countrymen to fight for the Bangla Language in 1952 and against the West Pakistani autocratic rulers in 1971 in the War of Independence.

Acting President of the party Zillur Rahman in a message on the eve of the occasion urged AL leaders and workers to translate the dreams of Independence into reality by changing the lot of common people.

Highlighting the history of Awami League, he said the party was always in the forefront of all democratic movements including the historic Language Movement.

Awami League led the War of Liberation in 1971 under the directive of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, he said adding, the party scored all achievements in the country.

The AL acting chief said that Bangabandhu concentrated on rebuilding the war-ravaged country after returning from the Pakistan jail on January 10, 1972 following the Independence. In only three and a half years, he said, Bangabandhu rehabilitated one crore refugees and two lakh oppressed women of the War of Liberation.

Under Bangabandhu's active and able leadership, Zillur Rahman said Bangladesh became members of the United Nations, Commonwealth and the OIC. Due to his dynamic leadership, he added, as many as 121 countries recognised Bangladesh.

After the barbaric killing of Bangabandhu and his family members on August 15, 1975, the acting AL chief said the front ranking leaders of the party-Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, Captain M Mansur Ali and AHM Quamaruzzaman were brutally killed inside the jail on November 3 the same year.

He said after two decades people voted Awami League to power in 1996. The historic Ganges Water Treaty and the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Treaty were signed during the tenure of Awami League, he added.

Zillur Rahman said the Awami League government had earned huge success in keeping the prices of essentials stable, attaining self-reliance in food, empowering womenfolk, ensuring health services, alleviating poverty, increasing foreign investment and developing the country's infrastructure.

The party will hold a discussion on June 25 at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh here at 3 PM.

Acting General Secretary of the party Syed Ashraful Islam has urged the AL leaders and workers and also people from all walks of life to observe the day in a befitting manner.