Awami League is the embodiment of struggle, success, and culture, says Quader

The senior leader made the statement after paying tribute to Bangabandhu on the 75th founding anniversary of the party

The Awami League was created with a dream and a pledge to establish an independent Bangladesh and emerged from that struggle while flying a flag of creation, says the party’s General Secretary Obaidul Quader.

The minister of road transport and bridges spoke to the media on Sunday after paying tribute to the portrait of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the 75th founding anniversary of the Awami League.

"The Awami League is the largest and oldest political organisation of this country. To put it simply, Awami League is the name we give to the splendid genius of our struggles, our successes, and our culture."

If the achievements of the party are to be divided into two, the first will be its role in establishing an independent Bangladesh, Quader said.

"The undisputed leader of our freedom movement is the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The sun that set on Palashi rose again in 1949; it rose with the dream, the promise and the pledge of establishing an independent Bangladesh.”

The Awami League was founded on Jun 23, 1949. It was under the party’s leadership that Bangladesh achieved independence in 1971. The party created by Bangabandhu is now led by his daughter Sheikh Hasina, and has been in power for four consecutive terms.

“The Awami League echoed the voice of the people, spread the flames of resistance, and snatched victory for Bangladesh. We stood before the marches of death and sang the victory song of life. We stood on the ruins and waved a flag of creation.”

Highlighting the history of Bangladesh's freedom struggle under the leadership of Bangabandhu Quader said, "Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the centre of everything – the struggle, the movement, and liberation. The freedom of Bangladesh was achieved by his hands.”

He then quoted Bangabandhu’s historic Mar 7 speech.

Obaidul Quader said, "Ziaur Rahman destroyed the liberation movement. The values of the Liberation War and the ideals of freedom were battered. They erased the historical Jun 7, they erased Mar 7. Bangabandhu was banned. ‘Joy Bangla’ was banned. At that time, the forces defeated by the Liberation War were walking around with their chests puffed out, sheltered and comforted by Ziaur Rahman. Ziaur Rahman was the mastermind behind the murder of the four national leaders in prison."

Speaking about the years after the assassination of Bangabandhu, he said, "After Zia, came Ershad, after Ershad, Begum Khaleda Zia... For twenty-one years we were in darkness. For twenty-one years our democracy was in exile. The spirit of our Liberation War was sent into exile. Our Independence Days and Victory Days were celebrated by excluding Bangabandhu, the hero of our victory, the founder of our freedom.”

"Six years after Bangabandhu's assassination, the homecoming of Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina was a beacon of hope in the darkness. Democracy has been unchained because Sheikh Hasina came to Bangladesh. War criminals were tried because she came. Bangabandhu's murder has been tried. The spirit of the Liberation War has been revived. Democracy has returned. Her homecoming was the return of the ideals of freedom."

The Awami League senior leader praised Hasina for writing a ‘glorious chapter’ for Bangladesh in the annals of world history.

“By building the Padma Bridge with our own funding, she has shown the World Bank that we can do it. The Padma Bridge - a symbol of our ability, a symbol of our capacity - was built with our own money.”

"The Dhaka metro rail, the elevated expressway, the Payra seaport, the Matarbari deep sea port, the satellite, the solution of the 68-year problem of enclaves – all of these were achieved by the daughter of Bangabandhu."

Asked what the Awami League had achieved in 75 years, Quader said that he would instead speak of a pledge to realise the ideals of the victory that the party had won with blood.

The senior party leader said the main obstacle to this is the BNP who commit hypocrisies in the name of the Liberation War.

Communal militants are the undying enemy of the Awami League and they have joined forces with the BNP, he said.

“Our vow today is to defeat these identical forces. We must overcome them. We will consolidate our victory. We will build a Smart Bangladesh under the leadership of Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina and continue towards the golden Bengal dreamt of by Bangabandhu."