Youths Learn History Through CRI at Awami League Council

Youths of numerous universities and colleges across Bangladesh joined hundreds of thousands of delegates in the Awami League’s 21st council on Friday to know the history of the party and share their thoughts. Research organization Center for Research and Information (CRI) brought them under their signature event ‘Let’s Talk’ and gave them the opportunity to ask their questions and raise concerns directly to the party leaders and ministers.

Also they visited various installations that CRI set up in the historic Suhrawardy Uddan in Dhaka, where Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the council. The Awami League history is also the history of Bangladesh as it led all the movements of the country including the 1971 war of independence under the leadership of father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

“I have learnt a lot. It’s a very nice and well decorated council. I have got the opportunity to ask my questions to the ministers,” Sanjida Khanom, a student of Dhaka University, told Bangladesh Post. State minister for foreign affairs Md Shahriar Alam, state minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, state minister for information Dr Murad Hasan, Fazilatunnesa Bappy MP, Deputy Secretary of Awami League’s publication and publicity wing Aminul Islam Amin took part in the discussion moderated by Nahim Razzaq MP.

They called upon the youths to help the government realize its vision to be a poverty free developed country by 2041. “We have a plethora of challenges ahead – be it in poverty reduction or ensuing health and education. We the youths want to solve those problems and want to make Bangladesh free from those crisis. The event ‘Let’s talk’ gave us the opportunity to express that views,” said Sanjida Khanom.

“The good news is that the government is doing promising things. I hope they will keep it up and solve all other problems.” Farida Rahman Labima, a student of Dhaka Medical College, also came to see the displays of CRI and participate in the ‘Let’s Talk’ event. “I have learnt many new things,” she told Bangladesh Post. “I have not seen such things before. I liked Let’s Talk a lot,” she said. “We asked our questions directly to the ministers and thus endeavoured to learn history from the displays,” she said. “I am very proud to be a part of it.”

The Awami League was born on Jun 23 in 1949 at Rose Garden in Old Dhaka's KM Das Lane. Moulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy and Shamsul Haq were the founder and organizer of the party. Throughout the 1950s, a young Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took the party to every nook and corner of erstwhile East Pakistan through different activities.

Bhashani left the party in 1957 to form the National Awami Party. Suhrawardy died in December 1963. Then Sheikh Mujib revived the Awami League and led the war of independence in 1971. The CRI presented the entire history through 10 installations. Photos of the Bangladesh’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, his daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and son Sajeeb wazed Joy are placed at the ‘Walk with Leader’ corner.

The ‘Road to 21st Council’ board displayed the history of the party since birth. ‘Light after darkness’ part speaks the brutal killing of Bangabandhu and his family members on August 15 in 1975.

Photos of Bangabandhu, Hasina and the national four leaders of wartime government - acting president Syed Nazrul Islam, prime minister Tajuddin Ahmad and cabinet ministers M Mansur Ali and AHM Quamruzzaman— are placed in the ‘Face of ALBD’ corner. “7 March” corner is decorated with the quotes of Bangabandhu’s historic March 7, 1971 speech.

The activities of the different sub-committees formed after the last council in 2016 and CRI organised events with the Prime Minister and Sajeeb Wazed Joy found place under the “ALBD regional Footprints” title. “ALBD- In front of a Mirror’ have a detailed view of the history of Awami League. “Quotes for Future Leadership” corner have quotes from different speeches of Bangabandhu and Sheikh Hasina along with their photos. Besides, “A New ERA- Part 1’ have the life story of Bangabandhu and “A New ERA- Part 2’ tells the story of Sheikh Hasina.

Party leaders and activists who came from different parts of Bangladesh were seen visiting those places and taking photos and selfies. The state minister for foreign affairs urged youths to know the correct history and facts of Bangladesh. He also sought their support for establishing good governance and creating a corruption free society.

“Those are our main challenges now. We (Awami League) have done many developments.” The state minister for information urged them not to be confused by the BNP-Jamaat propaganda. “They are master of spreading rumours,” he said, citing the example of recent salt issue in which a rumour of price hike of salt travelled so fast that people rushed to the market to buy and stock salts. “We have to resist such rumours concertedly,” he said, adding that “youths can play the most critical role in this regard”.

Bangladesh Post