Awami League reiterates pledge to build ‘Golden Bangladesh’ on founding anniversary

The Awami League remains committed to building a hunger- and poverty-free ‘Golden Bangladesh’ envisioned by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the 70th anniversary of the party’s inception, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said.

After paying homage to Bangabandhu to commemorate the occasion on Sunday, Hasina said: “Bangladesh has been firmly marching on the road to development since the Awami League formed government.

“Bangladesh has earned the respect of the world as a result. The Awami League has always served the country and the people.”

The prime minister marked the occasion with a promise to “establish Bangladesh as a hunger-free, poverty Golden Bangladesh”.

The Awami League chief led the tributes to her father by placing a wreath in front of Bangabandhu’s portrait along with other party leaders around 8:30am on Sunday. 

Hasina began the celebrations by hoisting the national flag alongside the Awami League flag to the rendering of the national anthem before releasing pigeons and balloons.

The party came into being as the Awami Muslim League at Rose Garden on Old Dhaka’s KM Das Lane on this day in 1949. Since then, it has been at the forefront of the Bengalis’ struggle for freedom, culminating in the Liberation War of 1971.

The party later dropped the word ‘Muslim’ from its name and emerged as a secular force, fighting for the autonomy of Bengali-dominated East Pakistan. It became the undisputed political choice for Bengalis during the movement to topple the military regime of Ayub Khan.