Country’s most popular political party Bangladesh Awami League kept its step into seventy two years of traditions. It is the main political party of the country. The name of this party is directly and closely involved in every struggle for the rights of the land and human rights of the country. This party has the most struggles and successes in the political history of Bangladesh. At the same time, it is a part of history, tradition and glory. The greatest achievement of the party is the freedom for struggle and liberation war of the country and establishment of an independent territory. In long 71 years, the party has had to go through many ups and downs. Even then, the party is still leading a huge development in the country by holding on to issues like Bengali, Bangladesh, liberation war, non-communalism etc.

The party was launched in 1949. When the rights of the people of East Bengal under Pakistan, born on the basis of erroneous biracialism, began to be severely violated. The Paki rulers continue to rule the country through a wide range of inequalities. The Awami Muslim League was formed base on the ground. But within a few days there was a division between the fact on the question of communal views and the realization of the rights of the people of East Bengal.

A section of the party began to move with rather much more communal behavior.

Then a non-communal section of the leaders and activists of the Muslim League came out and formed a new party called East Pakistan Awami Muslim League through a conference of political workers. Almost four years after its establishment, in 1955, the Awami Muslim League adopted a non-communal and secular policy by removing the word ‘Muslim’. This political party made its debut in the name of Awami League with the vow of 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.

Then it is only events and events. At the first conference, Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani and Shamsul Haque were elected president and General Secretary of Awami League respectively. Bangabandhu 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 1976 conference. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was conferred the title of Bangabandhu for leading the movement for the realization of rights through the Awami League. He 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 freedom struggle and liberation war. Under the leadership of 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 Awami League. On that day, at the call of Bangabandhu, the Bengalis jumped into the war of liberation.

The language movement of ‘52 and the united front of ‘54 led the party to victory in the elections. The six-point movement of 66, the mass uprising of ‘69, the huge victory in the elections of ’70 and the struggle for independence were formed under the leadership of Awami League. At the call of Bangabandhu, the Awami League led the great liberation war organized in 1971.

The traditional party has led all kinds of democratic movements and struggles against the military dictatorships that have come to the country one after another during the Pakistani rule and long after the assassination of Bangabandhu in 1975.

During this long journey, the Awami League has had to face many adversities. It has had to go through many ups and downs and break-ups. Sometimes the party has faced leadership vacuum, sometimes repression, sometimes disintegration.

After the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family on 15 August 1975 and the assassination of four national leaders on 3 November 1975, 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 was united again. The Awami League has been running under her 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 71 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.

The great achievement of the Awami League was the execution of the anti-independence activists of 1971 and the assassins of August 75.  At present, the country is moving forward with an unprecedented development leading by Bangabandhu’s daughter of Sheikh Hasina.