Ruling Awami League celebrated the 67th birthday of the party President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday, who is now in New York attending the United Nations General Assembly, across the country.
The party observed the day with elaborate programmes including distribution of food and clothes among orphans, milad mahfil and special prayers.
On this day, in 1947, Hasina, the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Fazilatunnessa Mujib, was born at Tungipara in Gopalganj.
Another milad mahfil marking the day was also held at the prime minister’s official residence Ganabhaban after Asr prayers, attended by relatives, well-wishers, party leaders and officials of the Prime Minister’s Office and Ganabhaban.
Senior leaders of the party and associate bodies joined a programme at the party chief’s Dhanmondi office during the occasion.
After the ceremonial cutting of cake the party’s General Secretary and LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam told reporters that he believed the upcoming parliamentary polls would be held with the participation of all political parties.
In his first public appearance in months, he hoped that free and fair elections would be timely held in line with the constitutional provisions.
Syed Ashraf, who skipped major party programmes in recent months, returned to his previous role as the party’s spokesman.
He alleged that the BNP had denied several offers of talks extended by the government.
Later, he held a meeting with party leaders, which decided to engage eminent personalities in a grand civic reception to the premier for the South-South Award for her government’s achievement in alleviating poverty.
Sources said the meeting decided on arranging a programme tomorrow at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to receive the prime minister on her return from the US.
Economist Rehman Sobhan, educationist Prof Anisuzzaman, Liberation War sector commander Maj Gen (retd) CR Dutta, Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddiqui, former DU VC AK Azad Chowdhury and cultural personality Ramendu Mazumder would be among the civic personalities expected at the programme.
Earlier at another programme, Joint General Secretary Mahabub-Ul-Alam Hanif said the ruling party was prepared for talks with the opposition to resolve the ongoing political crisis.
Addressing a discussion by Awami Swechchhasebak League at Dhanmondi Road 32, marking Hasina’s birth anniversary, Hanif also urged the BNP to place its proposal in parliament.
At a separate discussion organised by Awami Juba League at Mohanagar Natyamancha to mark the anniversary, party’s Presidium member Mohammad Nasim said the Awami League was seeking votes from the people after taking lessons from the past mistakes.
“We do not say that we did not commit any mistake over the past four years. We have taken lessons from our past mistakes and so, we are approaching people for their votes for the party,” he said.
