Awami League is my family, Gen Secy Syed Ashraf tells party council

Amid rumours that he may be replaced, Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam has pledged allegiance to the party and its chief Sheikh Hasina while addressing the 20th National Council.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 22 Oct 2016, 07:50 AM
Updated : 22 Oct 2016, 03:56 PM

One of the oldest political parties in Bangladesh, the Awami League started its two-day national council on Saturday at Dhaka's Suhrawardy Udyan.

Syed Ashraf, who had served as the party's second man for two terms now, skipped his written speech and went on with an emotional address.

"Dear brothers and sister, I am the child of Awami League. I was born in the house of Awami League. I feel the pain when the Awami League gets hurt. If an Awami League activist gets hurt, it pains me as well," is how he started off after requesting the audience to read his written speech which had been distributed ahead of the council.

"I had been the general secretary twice. I ran the party on Sheikh Hasina's advice," said the public administration minister, reminding that the party had not suffered any split or faced a conspiracy during his time.

Speculations are rife about replacing Syed Ashraf, the son of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's long-time trusted aide Syed Nazrul Islam, who served as the acting president of the war time Bangladesh government.

After being re-elected at the 2012 Awami League National Council.

Syed Ashraf, however, had said on Friday that only he and party chief Hasina have the knowledge of the change in leadership.

Calling for unity in the party, he said on Saturday, "Awami League is not only a political party. It's the product of the sacrifice of (Liberation War) martyrs, the sacrifice of the Father of the Nation and the four national leaders."

The AL general secretary said that numerous conspiracies had been hatched to create a rift in the party. "But still the Awami League could not be destroyed...and it will be never be possible."

Pledging allegiance to Sheikh Hasina, he said that, "As long as she is here, she will lead us."

Before his speech, he requested the audience to read his written speech. "The report of the general secretary, which has been published as a booklet, will take a lot of time to read. So, I request you to take it along with you."

In his written speech, Syed Ashraf warned of a fresh conspiracy against the Awami League. "An evil quarter is trying to destabilise Bangladesh by trying to create panic among the people through radical extremists."