Relying on the veteran leaders with proven record of success, Awami League started a new journey at their 22^nd council held at historic Sohrawardy Udyan on Saturday. Sheikh Hasina has been reelected as the party president for the 10^th successive term and Obaidul Quader as general secretary for the consecutive third time.

Sheikh Hasina was elected as party president for the first time in 1981 despite of her absence in the country. Then, she became president as the party saw her as the sign of unity. Since then, she has been leading the party at a stretch. She was reelected as the party chief in 22^nd national council of AL held at Engineering Institution in the capital on Saturday.

The second phase of the council started on 3 pm and after the speech of senior leaders, presenting the monetary bill and modifications of the party constitution, AL president Sheikh Hasina began to give her speech and announced the new committee. Rectification regarding cancelling the committee was included in the party constitution if the committee is not formed within 45 days from the national council. The ‘Mahila Shromik League’ has been given the right of becoming an associate organization of the party.

Sheikh Hasina on 5 pm cancelled the running working committee and wanted to say goodbye from the party. She said, “I’ll be always with you wherever I’m. I want you to elect new leader and make the party stronger. It’s natural that old ones would take farewell and new ones will take the position.”

However, the councilors present there negate it and began to say, “No, no…”

After that Chief Election Commissioner Advocate Yousuf Hossain Humayun, Commissioner Dr Masiur Rahman and Shahabuddin Chuppu came on to the stage. The CEC wanted the party men to propose the name of their president. Tangail district AL president Fazlur Rahman Faruque proposed the name of Sheikh Hasina. The election commissioners wanted to know whether there’s any other name besides hers. But, the councilors said there’s no other name that they would consider. Then, Dinajpur district AL president Mostafizur Rahman supported the proposal for Sheikh Hasina as party president. At the moment, the activists and supporters gathered in the Sohrawardy Udyan began to give slogan in the name of Sheikh Hasina. Then, CEC Yousuf Hossain Humayun declared Sheikh Hasina as the president of the party because there was no other candidate beside her.

The name in the post of general secretary was asked afterwards. This time, the name of Obaidul Quader was proposed by Naogaon district AL president and Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder and his proposal was supported by Dhaka district AL general secretary Paniruzzaman Tarun. The name of Quader was announced as there was no other candidate.

Then, the reelected president and general secretary took the stage. This time, Sheikh Hasina became emotional and said, “What I can say…you gave me the responsibility of president in 1981 and gave me once more this time.”

She asked the party leaders and activists to build ‘The Bengal of Gold’ following the example shown by Bangabandhu.

Based on the power provided by the councilors, the newly elected party president sheikh Hasina announced the names of presidium members, join secretaries, members of the secretary council. She announced the name of 48 members among 81. Among them, three presidium members of 21^st council were repositioned to advisory council. Former BCL president Dr Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin has been promoted from member to presidium member, Aminul Islam has become relief and social welfare secretary from previous post of sub-public relation secretary and Sujit Roy Nandi has become organizing secretary from the previous post of relief and social welfare secretary.

The names of 15 presidium members, 4 join secretary, 1 treasurer, 17 divisional secretary, 8 organizing secretary and 1 deputy secretary have been announced. No new name was in the list of 48 whose names were announced. This committee will lead the party activities ahead of next parliamentary election.

Sheikh Hasina announced the name of 15 senior leaders as presidium members. Begum Matia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Salim, Kazi Jafar Ullah, Engineer Mosharraf Hosain, Pijush Kanti Bhatttacharya, Dr Abdur Razzak, Lieutenant Colonel (retd.) Muhammad Faruq Khan, Shahjahan Khan, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Abdur Rahman, AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Kamrul Islam and Simin Hossain Rimi kept their position as presidium members, while Mostafa Jalal Mahiuddin was added to the committee.

There was no change in working committee as the previous members have kept their positions. Seven among eight organizing secretaries of AL have kept their position, while Sakhawat Hossain Shafique has been dropped from the committee.

Senior leaders like Amir Hossain Amu, Tofael Ahmed, Dr Mahiuddin Khan Alamgir, Dr Gawhar Rizvi have kept their position as the members of advisory council. Besides, Ramesh Chandra Sen, Nurul Islam Nahid, Advocate Abdul Mannan Khan, Harunir Rashid, Habibur rahman Siraj were added to this council who were formerly in working committee.

In addition, positions in parliamentary board and local government representatives’ nomination board and national committee were also announced.

Party president said five posts are vacant in parliamentary board which will be filled up later on.

@The report was published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on December 25 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque