Awami League General Secretary and Public Administration Minister Syed Ashraful Islam yesterday pledged his allegiance to the party and its head Sheikh Hasina.Syed Ashraf expressed his commitment amid rumors that he might be replaced this time. He was addressing the opening session of the two-day national council of one of the oldest political parties in Bangladesh. The governing Awami League party started its 20th National Council yesterday at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital.
Syed Ashraf, who had served as the party's second man for two terms now, skipped his written speech and requested the audience to read the 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, the AL general secretary warned of a fresh conspiracy against the Awami League. "An evil quarter is trying to destabilize Bangladesh by trying to create panic among the people through radical extremists."
Later, he 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.
Pledging allegiance to party chief Sheikh Hasina, he said that, "As long as she is here, she will lead us."Speculations are rife about replacing Syed Ashraf, the son of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's long-timetrusted aide Syed Nazrul Islam, who served as the acting president of the war time Bangladesh government.
Syed Ashraful Islam, however, had said on Friday that only he and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have the knowledge of the change in leadership.
Calling for unity in the party, he told the council, "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 leader 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 never be possible."Conspiracies had been hatched to annihilate Awami League. Thousands of its leaders were killed. But the efforts to destroy Awami League have failed. It had not been possible in the past to annihilate it and neither it would be possible in the future," he said.
Awami League is not only a political party, but it is also a name of feelings, said the ruling party leader adding, "The party liberated the country and always struggled for democracy. Awami League is not a conventional party."He went on saying, "There're many political parties in the world. But the sacrifice of Awami League is incomparable. Our blood is pure and tested. If we're united, there is no force in the world that can destroy Awami League."
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