Public places, flyovers, different foot over bridges and the relevant party officers remained illuminated in all the major cities of the country for couple of nights from Saturday last. Bill boards with portraits of political legends including Bangladesh independence leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hussein Shaheed Suhrawardy, Moulana Bhashani and Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish adorned the street sides along with the images of President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other leaders of the ruling Awami League (AL).

Bill boards carrying pictures of several under construction mega projects including Padma Bridge have also been placed on along different streets including Abdul Gani Road beside the Dhaka Secretariat – the de-facto bastion of the government. The costly paintings on the bill boards were massive and illuminations in the evening were much attractive.

General people engaged in their daily chores with different professions probably realized lately realised that these decorations and illuminations were the acts of the ruling party–Awami League (AL) which celebrated its 70th founding anniversary on Sunday, June 23, 2019. The celebrations continued successfully and without any hindrance as there have been no strong opposition parties, which have been failing to tackle the ruling party politically.
Since the independence of the country people witnessed many political parties to celebrate their founding anniversaries. But they never saw any party to celebrate these days in such pomp and grandeur. Moreover, they witnessed that the opposition and the anti-government parties reduced their political campaigns after the national election held in January 2014, boycotted by 20-party alliance led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

However, AL celebrated the day without any criticism by the opposition parties, because the relevant parties and a major section of the people have probably been convinced that the AL is not a simple political party, like dozens others in the country. Rather it has been a great political party in this region with many feather of success in its cap earned over the last seven decades.

The creation of Bangladesh after leading the liberation war for long mine moths in 1971 was Its greatest achievement. The ambience for initiating the liberation war was not generated overnight. For this the party leaders, led by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had to struggle and evolve plans for 22 years, during which the party had to lead the people for realising their rights to speak in their own mother tongue. It had to show the world that the Pakistani rulers mainly the military junta deprived the people of its eastern wing of due economic and political life. During this long period Bangabandhu and other leaders were imprisoned by Pakistan government on different occasions on different fictitious grounds including the infamous Agartala Conspiracy case.

Besides, the party led by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had to win in the Pakistan’s national election in 1970. The party had to launch and lead the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 after Bangabandhu was arrested by then incumbent Pakistani military ruler General Yahya Khan dubbed General Butcher. Moments Before the arrest Bangabandhu declared the independence of the country through a wireless message transmitted through Bangalee operators at the East Pakistan Rifles border guard.

AL for its campaign could successfully drew the support of the Indian government, which also sheltered 10 million people who fled their country after Pakistani occupation forces had resorted to genocide. After forming a Bangladesh government in exile in India It even could build up a joint command of Bangladesh and Indian forces to fight against Pakistani occupation forced until the victory achieved on December 16, 1971. In absence of Bangabandhu senior AL leaders — Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, Captain M Mansur Ali and AHM Qamruzzaman led the Bangladesh exile government and commanded the Liberation War.

After the independence AL had to form the government in the independent Bangladesh. Meanwhile Pakistani was forced to release Bangabandhu from the prison. He returned to Dhaka on January 10, 1972, via London and New Delhi. In his first meeting with the India Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in New Delhi Bangabandhu requested her to withdraw Indian soldiers from independent Bangladesh as quick as possible. Indira Gandhi honoured his request and withdrew all Indian troops from Bangladesh before the first anniversary of the declaration of Bangladesh independence.

Experts say had Bangabandhu failed to pursue the withdrawal, the presence of Indian forces would have been prolonged for years or decades making Bangladesh a vassal state of India. The AL led by Bangabandhu not only established the government in an new independent country, but also gave it a constitution within the span of merely a year.

AL which was out of power for 21 years after the assassination of Bangabandhu with most of his family members in August 1975, returned to power in 1996 under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina and initiated new course for socio-economic and infrastructural development . Sheikh Hasina, the elder of the two surviving daughters became the AL chief after she had returned to the country. Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana survived the August assassination as they were on a visit to Germany.

After being in the opposition from 2001 to 2006 Sheikh Hasina became the Prime Minister for the second time in January 2008. Since then she has been continuing as the Prime Minister winning the elections in January 2014 and January 2019. Her government could successfully bring the political stability for the country since April 2015 and lead the country for economic growth. Despite some irregularities in some sectors including banking the country is moving forward with more 7 per cent growth rate for last several years. Now the GDP (gross domestic products) is expected to go cross 8 per cent. The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and The Asian Development Bank have recently acknowledged Bangladesh as one of the economically fastest growing countries of the world.

People now convinced that the party which has attained so many laurels in leading the country to independence and subsequently economic development should celebrate the 70th founding anniversary befittingly.
On the founding anniversary Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the AL was formed to bring back the independent of Bangladesh which was lost to British East India Company in a battle on June 23, 1757 through the defeat of last independent Nawab of Bengal.

On June 23, 1949 The All Pakistan Awami Muslim League was formed in Dhaka by Moulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, Shawkat Ali, Yar Mohammad Khan, Shamsul Huq. They were later joined by Hussein Shaheed Suhrawardy. Later the world Muslim was dropped to give a secular colour to the party. Shamsul Huq became the founding General Secretary and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who became founder father of Bangladesh in 1971 began his career as the Joint General Secretary of AL and took the leadership to lead Bangalees for the independence which was materialised within 22 years.

The author is Business Editor,