Staff Correspondent

The ruling Awami League (AL) plans to celebrate its platinum jubilee on 23 June in a grand, festive and joyous manner, marking the 75th founding anniversary of the country’s oldest political party.

There will be a three-day elaborate programme to commemorate the occasion with the theme “Green Earth”.

Through the party’s 75th founding anniversary, the AL will inform the young generation of the Liberation War, independence, Bangabandhu and the party.

The Awami League has taken a 10-point programme on the occasion.

The party will invite the ruling political parties of different countries to the programmes. Apart from this, the BNP and other registered political parties of the country will be invited, according to party sources.

Awami League, which led the country’s great Liberation War, was founded in the Rose Garden of Old Dhaka on that day in 1949. Like every year, different programmes will be taken but this time there will be differences.

Various programmes have been undertaken for three days from the centre to the grassroots across the country.

The party’s long history, tradition, movement and role in different struggles will be highlighted through the programmes.

There will be different types of banners, festoons, placards and arches, highlighting the history and tradition of the Awami League. Through these, the history of the birth of Bangladesh, the democratic progress over hurdles, the transformation to the path of development, advanced prosperity and success will be presented.

However, there will be no illumination this time to save electricity, said party sources.

According to party insiders, the Awami League will invite the ruling parties of the neighbouring countries with whom it has good relations to the platinum jubilee. Especially India, China and Russia will be given more importance. Besides, the party will invite the political parties of those countries that supported Bangladesh during the Liberation War.

Apart from this, the political parties of Bangladesh’s development partner countries will also be invited.

In this regard, AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader recently said the ruling party will invite the BNP and other opposition political parties to attend their upcoming platinum jubilee celebrations.

While speaking to the media during at a joint meeting of AL at the party’s central office at Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka on Thursday, Quader said all the achievements of the country have been attained by the Awami League. The AL has a glorious history as it established the rights of mass people, he added.

He declared different programmes taken to mark the founding anniversary of the Awami League.

He said a rally will begin at the Engineers Institution at 3pm today and end at Dhanmondi-32.

A cultural function will be held at Rabindra Sarobar on tomorrow. Party President Sheikh Hasina will place tribute at the portrait of Bangabandhu on Dhanmondi-32 Road at 7am on Sunday, he said.

He said a rally will be held at Suhrawardy Udyan at 2.30pm on Sunday. Besides, a nationwide tree plantation campaign, “Sabuj Dharithri”, will also be inaugurated on the day.

A cultural function will be held at Hatirjheel in the evening on 24 June, while a cycle rally will be held on 28 June. AL sources said the party’s golden jubilee celebration programmes will also include meetings, seminars and discussions in all party offices, distribution of food among orphanages, hospitals, working people, poor, helpless and distressed people across the country, drawing and writing competitions and prize distribution programmes in educational institutions, publication of leaflets, special mementoes and books and exhibition of posters, banners and photographs and promotion of appropriate posters, banners and visual content on social media, special cultural events, documentaries and film exhibitions, and awarding senior leaders at all levels of the party.

While talking to the Daily Sun, AL Organising Secretary Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel said, “The great Liberation War, the history of Bangladesh, the history of Awami League, the history of movement and struggles will be presented through the three-day programme.”

AL Cultural Affairs Secretary Asim Kumar Ukil said, “On the occasion of the party’s platinum jubilee, there’ll be a nearly one-hour cultural function before the main programme. Through this, the history of the country, Liberation War, Bangabandhu and the party will be highlighted.”

A Presidium member of the party said, “We want to celebrate our party’s 75th founding anniversary in a grand manner. We’ll hold our anniversary programmes targeting the new generation.”

Various subcommittees have been formed to make the platinum jubilee programmes a success.