Emran Emon

The 75nd founding anniversary of the democratically born subcontinent's oldest political party and the current ruling party Bangladesh Awami League is being celebrated this year. June 23, is a special day for Bangladesh Awami League. ‌ Because this traditional political party was established on this day.

In 1947, the Indian subcontinent was divided into two states, India and Pakistan. From 1948 onwards, Maulana Akram Khan and Khwaja Nazimuddin controlled the politics of the Muslim League in Dhaka. The progressive leaders who followed the Bengal Provincial Muslim League, led by Suhrawardy and Abul Hashem, felt neglected there at the time. They then set up a workers' camp at house number 150 in Mughaltuli. There they were thinking of forming a new political party. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman came from Calcutta and joined with them. In Tangail, Maulana Bhashani and Shamsul Haque lost to the Muslim League candidate twice in a by-election which became void due to the resignation of Principal Ibrahim Khan. But the Election Commission declared the election results of both of them invalid.

Then they also came and started thinking of forming a new political party together with these Muslim activists. They called a meeting. Maulana Bhashani was the chairman of the preparatory committee for the meeting and Yar Mohammad Khan was the general secretary. But no auditorium was available for that meeting. Then Kazi Humayun Rashid of KM Das Lane, Tikatuli, Dhaka, called for a meeting at his Rose Garden.

There, on the afternoon of June 23, 1949, in the presence of 250-300 people, it was decided to form a new political party. According to the proposal of Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, the party was renamed as 'East Pakistan Awami Muslim League'. At the same time, in the case of the whole of Pakistan, the name of the organization was 'All Pakistan Awami Muslim League', the president of which was Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy.

Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani was the president of the newly formed 'East Pakistan Awami Muslim League'. The vice-presidents were Ataur Rahman Khan, Ali Amjad Khan, Ahmed Ali Khan, Shakhawat Hossain and Abdus Salam Khan. The general secretary was Shamsul Haque. The treasurer was Yar Mohammad Khan, who owned the first meeting in the Rose Garden. Although the young leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was in jail at that time, he was made the joint general secretary. Thus, the first committee of 40 people was formed. However, many of them did not stay with the Awami League later.

Some people later objected to having the word 'Muslim' with the name of the party. There was a lot of controversy in the party over whether the word Muslim would exist or not. At that time, Hindu and Muslim constituencies were elected separately. During the 1954 general election, an agreement was reached that the party would be a non-communal party. The Juktofront party won 223 of the 237 seats in the election, which was made up of the East Pakistan Awami Muslim League, the Krishak Sramik Party, the Pakistan Democratic Party, the Pakistan Khilafah Party and the Nezami Islami Party. The Awami Muslim League got 143 seats.

The three main leaders of the Juktofront were Maulana Bhashani, AK Fazlul Haque and Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy. Although Maulana Bhashani was insisting on omitting the word Muslim to make the party secular, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy wanted the word Muslim to remain. Because he feared that if it was dropped, the party's popularity in West Pakistan would decline.

After the victory of the 1954 election, the word 'Muslim' was dropped from the name of the party in the 1955 council of the Awami Muslim League. As a result, non-Muslims also get a chance to join this party. However, the two words 'East' and 'Pakistan' were omitted from the Bangladesh War of Independence in 1971. After the declaration of independence in Bangladesh, the name Bangladesh Awami League started to be used in all the papers of the expatriate government.

History of Awami League breakup:

When Shamsul Haque, the general secretary of the Awami Muslim League, fell ill in 1952, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman became the acting general secretary. The following year, he was elected general secretary at the general conference of the East Pakistan Awami Muslim League at Mukul Cinema Hall in Dhaka. He later served as the General Secretary till 1966. However, due to differences of opinion on foreign policy, the party split in 1957.

At that time Awami League was in the government of Pakistan. And Pakistan had several military agreements with the United States. SEATO and SENTO were Pakistani members of the military alliance. Maulana Bhashani and the leftists in the party were pressuring the Awami League to pull out of the US military alliance. Suhrawardy was considered a supporter of the US agreement. Maulana Bhashani was demanding the cancellation of the Pak-US military agreement, but Prime Minister Suhrawardy did not agree.

At one stage of the dispute, Maulana Bhashani's proposal was defeated in a vote at the party's conference in Kagmari, Tangail. Then on 18 March, Maulana Bhashani resigned from the post of President of the East Pakistan Awami League. On July 25 of that year, he formed the National Awami Party (NAP) at the Rupmahal Cinema Hall in Dhaka. Many leaders left the Awami League and joined his new party, including founding member Yar Mohammad Khan. Then Maulana Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish became the acting president of Awami League. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the General Secretary.

After the death of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy in 1964, the Awami League was reorganized. Then Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman requested Tofazzal Hossain Manik Miah to become the President of Awami League. But Manik Mia did not agree because he wanted to stay with his writing and journalism. A former minister named Justice Mohammad Ibrahim was also requested, but he too refused to take over the presidency. Then in the council meeting of 1964 Maulana Abdur Rashid Tarkbagish was elected as the full president. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman remained as the General Secretary.

But after the announcement of the Six-Points program in 1966, many people, including Maulana Tarkabagish, opposed it. In March of that year, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was elected the first Awami League president at the Awami League council meeting. Tajuddin Ahmed became the general secretary. Many of the leaders who opposed the Six-Points left the Awami League. Under that leadership, Bangladesh became independent through all kinds of movements and struggles later.

The role of Awami League in every movement and struggle of this country is glorious. The Language Movement of 1952, the Student Movement of 1962, the Six-Points Movement of 1966, the Mass Uprising of 1969, the Landmark Elections of 1970 and the great Independence Movement of 1971, at everywhere, the Awami League played an active role.

Since its inception, a political party has survived many ups and downs for a long 75 years in its glory. One of the reasons for its qualified leadership. Leadership is the main tool for a party to exist. And a party can survive from age to age by gaining the trust and love of the masses through competent and proper leadership. Bangladesh Awami League is a shining example of that. Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is an example of that worthy leadership. The current Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina is holding the helm of the current Awami League.

It is a matter of great pride for the party that Bangladesh Awami League, the main leader in the great war of liberation, has been able to sustain its existence till after the country's golden jubilee of independence. The current leader of the ancient and traditional party is Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina, the current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Her prudence in leadership like that of her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman definitely deserves praise.

During her tenure, she has to face many challenges to survive. She has resisted many conspiracies at home and abroad with his wisdom. The Padma Bridge was a big challenge for her. Where the whole world said Padma Bridge is not possible, Awami League president Sheikh Hasina has made it possible. She has amazed the whole world by constructing the Padma Bridge with the just funding of her country. This is a great achievement of Awami League as well as the country.

In the current period of Awami League, there has been significant development in infrastructure in the country. But more development is needed in the sectors of public importance like education and healthcare. The first thing that needs to be ensured is "quality". Moreover, effective measures are needed to ensure the overall rights of the citizens and to make the citizens as good citizens. Currently corruption has become an alarming issue. All these development activities are failing due to rampant corruption and looting. Almost all sectors are now more or less plagued by corruption. Awami League's big challenge now is to stop corruption and looting.

As Bangabandhu has won the trust and love of the people by fighting against injustice, irregularities, exploitation, torture, corruption, malpractice, imprisonment for democracy and good governance. For his contribution in politics, he is known as "The Poet of Politics". His daughter, current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has to follow in her father's footsteps—that's our expectation. Moreover, she has to be aware of the infiltrators in the party. True and bonafide leaders need to be evaluated, hybrids need to be wary of. Let Bangladesh move forward under her dynamic leadership. Let's build Bangabandhu's dream "Golden Bangladesh". Greetings and best wishes to Awami League on its 75nd founding anniversary.

The writer is a researcher, journalist and columnist.