Glorious 72 Years of the Awami League: Timeto Evaluate Dedicated Leaders

 

The Ruling Awami League has entered the 72nd year by climbing every ladder of glory, tradition, struggle, and success. June 23 marks the 72-founding anniversary of this ancient political party which led the country's great liberation war. The Awami League has reached this position today after going through many ups and downs, and a long struggle. In the long 72 years of journey, the party has been able to establish many backgrounds and glory.

Born based on backward and erroneous two-nation theory, the Awami Muslim League was formed on 23 June 1949 at the Rose Garden in KM Das Lane, Old Dhaka to assert the rights of the people of East Bengal under Pakistan. Then a non-communal section of the Muslim League leaders and workers came out and formed a new party called East Pakistan Awami Muslim League through a conference of political workers.

Despite the demand for naming the party as non-communal at the time of its inception, the party adopted a non-communal and secular policy by removing the word 'Muslim' from the Awami Muslim League in 1955, almost four years after its establishment in the social reality and political context of the time. This political party made its debut in the name of Awami League with the vow of the struggle for the rights of Bengalis. After its establishment, the Awami League became an institution for the realization of the rights of the Bengalis through a long struggle.

Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani and General Secretary Shamsul Haque were elected president of the Awami League at the first conference. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was in jail at that time. In the first committee, he got the post of joint secretary from jail. At one stage of the continuity of leadership, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman came to lead the Awami League.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was elected General Secretary of the Awami League through the 1966 conference. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has conferred the title of Bangabandhu for leading the movement for the realization of rights through the Awami League. Became the undisputed leader of the Bengalis. The architect of independent Bangladesh, Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujib.

Under the leadership of Bangabandhu, the Awami League became an institution for realizing the rights of Bengalis. Through movement and struggle, Awami League was transformed into the leading party of the great and glorious liberation war. Under the leadership of the Awami League, all the movements against the oppression and rule of Pakistan, the movement against communalism, the movement for the establishment of language rights, the movement against exploitation and deprivation turned into a movement for independence. The great war of liberation and independence was achieved under the leadership of the Awami League. On that day, at the call of Bangabandhu, the Bengalis jumped into the war of liberation.

The language movement of 1952 and the United Front elections of 1954 led the party to victory. The six-point movement of 1966, the mass uprising of 1969, the huge victory in the elections of 1970, and the struggle for independence were formed under the leadership of the Awami League. The Awami League-led the great liberation war organized in 1971 at the call of Bangabandhu. The traditional party has led all kinds of democratic movements and struggles against the military dictatorships that have come to the country one after the other during Pakistani rule and long after independence.

During this long journey, the Awami League has had to face many adversities. We have had to go through many ups and downs and break-ups. Sometimes the party has faced a leadership vacuum, sometimes repression, sometimes disintegration. After the brutal assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family on 15 August 1975 and the assassination of four national leaders on 3 November, the Awami League lost its leadership. This emptiness leads to multiple breakdowns and groupings within the group and multiple divisions. Then in 1981, at the height of the party, Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina returned to the country and took the helm of the Awami League with a strong hand.

Under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, the divided Awami League has united again. The Awami League has been running under his leadership for almost four decades. During this period, besides the movement and struggle for the establishment of democracy in the country, the Awami League has been able to hold state power four times. However, the Awami League has had to stay out of state power, on the streets, in the struggle for almost 50 years out of 72 years. After winning the United Front elections in 1954, the Awami League formed a cabinet in 1958, but it did not last long. After the independence of Bangladesh, the Awami League has been in power for three and a half years under the Bangabandhu government and five years under Sheikh Hasina in 1996, and now for 12 and a half years.

But looking at the Awami League, which has been in power for a long time, it seems that the Awami League is losing momentum as a party. Once the Awami League had a nationally enlightened central leadership, the grassroots had a burning face of people-oriented honest ideology and experienced politics, but today the picture is completely different. It is time to discuss how successful the Awami League has been in separating the party and the government. Although many central leaders of the party keep in touch with leaders and workers across the country, they are not in power. Not being able to play a role in implementing the party's commitment, not being able to do anything for the staff. When the workers come, they have nothing to offer but comfort. Many stay away from power, even though they have organizational responsibilities, they are not members of the party's parliament.

There are no visible examples of how positive this has been for the party. There was a time in politics when the leaders from the grassroots to the center were MPs, if they came to power they would-be ministers. The government was formed with experienced political leaders from the center and the grassroots. The question remains as to whether the experimental separation of the party and the government has benefited the government or the party at all. Just as many people did not get a taste of party power even after being born in Awami League, many people came suddenly and saw that they were enjoying power by enjoying all facilities. Although many have organizational skills and experience, they are not in the party, they are in power. This experiment of separating the party and the government without coordination has changed the pace of the Awami League from the place of a people-oriented worker-friendly well-organized political force. In the politics of the Awami League, the meeting of the working committee used to end in more than one day. The decisions taken at those meetings had a significant impact on the politics of Bangladesh. Talented politicians played a role in making that proposal. Although the Awami League was then a party of the poor, its politics was colorful and traditional. Illuminated by light. Now, even though it is a colorful festival centered on the National Conference, there is no political proposal that attracts the political circles of the country.

After August 15, 1975, the Awami League was not overthrown by the brutal assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with his family. Nevertheless, the irresistible Awami League has turned around in the movement and struggle born from among the people. When Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Bangabandhu, was elected as the President in 1981 as a symbol of party unity, she did not have to look back. The Awami League once again became a popular strong party. She returned to power in 1996 after the first 21 years. Thousands of leaders and activists are proud of the politics of the Awami League. When the party comes to power, the party does not take the news of the sad workers of the great times.

Ministers no longer know them. MPs do not allow the syndicate to crowd them. Stay away from any party benefits, they do not even have a political evaluation. After 1975, in that deep crisis, those who flew the flag of Chhatra League politics at the risk of their lives propagated the politics of Bangabandhu's ideology, destroyed the party with organizational skills and talents, can no longer show their face. The party does not look for them. They are not evaluated. In One-Eleven, those who took risks went to jail, were tortured, but those who did not leave the leader Sheikh Hasina, no one takes the news now.

Bangladesh has not only entered the developing world with the help of Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, but it has also become a role model in the world in economic development. Like watching her success in the Corona War. Despite hundreds of failures in the Ministry of Health, she is tackling the crisis with her leadership, foresight, talent, and wisdom. Paddy has gone to people's houses. No one has to bother with food. The Awami League is in charge of the state today but the power will not last forever. Are the organizational forces and structures ready to deal with the tough politics of the opposition? So, the time has come to evaluate party's dedicated and tested leaders.


The writer is a Research Fellow, BNNRC