AL's 74th founding anniversary today

The 74th founding anniversary of ruling Awami League, which led the country's independence through the glorious 1971 Liberation War, will be celebrated tomorrow.

Established on 23 June, 1949 as Awami Muslim League at Rose Garden in capital's old part on the day, later the party appeared as Bangladesh Awami League (AL) to give it a secular look.

The AL has taken elaborate programmes, marking its founding anniversary.

The programmes include hoisting of national and party flags at central and countrywide party offices at the dawn, paying tribute at Bangabandhu's portrait in front of the Bangabandhu Bhaban at 7:00am, holding of a discussion at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) at 3:30pm tomorrow.

AL president and prime minister Sheikh Hasina will chair and address the discussion meeting.

As part of the days' programmes, a delegation of the AL central executive committee will also pay homage at the grave of Bangabandhu, the greatest Bangalee of all time, by placing wreaths there at Tungipara at 10.30am.

AL president and prime minister Sheikh Hasina today gave a message marking the party's founding anniversary recalling its contribution to the birth of Bangladesh and all democratic movements.

In her message, the premier said since its inception, every achievement in the soil of this land has been under the leadership of Awami League.

The AL was behind the root of all the achievements of Bangalees till today, including the country's overall development from the protection of the dignity of mother tongue and subsequently the War of Liberation in 1971, she added.

The Awami League is one of the oldest, non-communal, largest and leading political parties in the country. And the work of building a non-communal Bangladesh was first started by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

At the time of its establishment, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was in jail. But he was made joint general secretary then.