DHAKA: Awami League faithful led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday morning placed wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi as the country’s oldest party celebrated the 61st anniversary of its founding.  

The ruling party is celebrating the founding anniversary with countrywide programmes, including paying homage to its paramount leader Mujib, father of the PM.

Earlier, the day’s programme started with the hoisting of the national and party flags at party offices across the country.

After placing wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu at 7:30am, deputy leader of the House in parliament and party presidium member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury said, ”Though the liberation war is over, militancy and communalism do exist. The masterminds are still trying to destroy the country’s freedom and sovereignty.”

She urged all to unite and build Bangladesh as a country free from repression, militancy and communalism.

She said, “Awami League must not be ruined. The persons who worked against the party had to leave it.”

Among others, home minister Advocate Sahara Khatun, party presidium members Obaidul Quader, Advocate Yusuf Hossain Humayun, party joint general secretary Mahabub-Ul-Alam and organizing secretary Ahmed Hossain were present.
 
The party owes its origin to the then Awami Muslim League formed at Rose Garden in Dhaka on June 23, 1949. The progressive leaders and activists of the party excluded the word ‘Muslim’ from the party’s name and established Awami League in 1953, completing its emergence as a non-communal political party.

BDST: 10,30 Hrs, June23, 2010.
SK/MS/SMS/MUA