Dhaka/

The 22nd national convention of the traditional political party Awami League is today Saturday. Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the conference at the historical Suhrawardy Udyan at 10:30 am. All preparations for the conference have already been completed. Due to the global economic recession, the conference is being organized in a simple manner with the aim of achieving austerity. Every year foreign political parties are invited but this time it is not happening. However, diplomats based in Bangladesh have been invited. BNP, Jatiya Party, partners of 14 parties and other registered political parties have been invited.

In the meantime, leaders and activists from all over the country have come to Dhaka. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is going to chair the conference for the 10th consecutive time. However, there are many rumors about who is coming to other posts including general secretary. However, the councilors across the country will entrust the power to take the final decision on the party chief Sheikh Hasina. He is the one who decides about it. But as always, this time Sheikh Hasina did not give any green signal to anyone or open her mouth to anyone. So there is curiosity about who the general secretary is. We have to wait till the second session of the conference today to find out.

It is known that this conference will highlight the commitment to build a smart Bangladesh by 2041. Keeping this issue in mind, the slogan of the conference has been set as ‘Development Abhijatra – The determination of Bangabandhu’s dream to build a developed, prosperous and smart Bangladesh under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina.’ Accordingly, smart leadership will also be created in the conference. Awami League wants to pass the next election by forming through today’s conference. That is why party president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will select the leadership after various calculations. Although according to the constitution of Awami League, the councilors have the authority to select who will come to other positions including the president-general secretary of the party. However, the councilors across the country will entrust all the powers of creating leadership to party president Sheikh Hasina.

Meanwhile, there is a lot of interest among the councilors about the next general secretary. A section of the Awami League says that the general secretary who is currently in front of the election can stay again. According to them, Obaidul Quader is healthy, he is also very active in organizational activities. He can be kept in the same position again in view of the elections. In that case, Obaidul Quader can score a hat-trick. Last Thursday, Obaidul Quader told reporters that there are no major changes in the conference this time. However, a special conference will be held after the national elections. Big changes could come at that conference. Another part of the party says that there is no precedent for the same person to be the general secretary of Awami League three times in a row. Moreover, there are many important people in the team to fulfill this responsibility. Some of them may be elected General Secretary. The person who can play an active role in building Smart Bangladesh in front of the election can be made the general secretary.
Besides, relatively young and talented leadership can be brought in editorial and other membership including presidium. In that case, there is a big surprise in the conference. Some of the former tested and talented student leaders can get a place in the committee.

What analysts say: According to political analysts, the upcoming national elections are very important and challenging for Awami League. Those who will come to the leadership in this conference will have to play a key role in the next election to make the party win. Because it is a big challenge to organize the organization from the center to the grassroots by resolving the party conflicts. Along with that, the new leadership will also have to deal with the movement of opposition political parties including BNP and Jamaat. Smart leadership should be brought to face the challenges and make the party election oriented.
If asked, the former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University. AMS Arefin Siddique said, Awami League is the oldest political party. Organizing regular conferences is the specialty of this group. Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina remains the president of this party – it can be said for sure. However, I think none of the talks about the formation of the leadership of general secretary and other posts are very reliable. It is not right to say anything speculative before Sheikh Hasina announces the committee after the conference. Because, out of thousands of leaders across the country, he will form a timely leadership committee like in the past.

He said, Bangabandhu will be the real soldier in the conference – I hope that. Awami League should take the lead to build Bangabandhu’s dream of Sonar Bangla. Sheikh Hasina continues to fulfill that responsibility as the head of the government and the head of the Awami League. Through the conference, true Bangabandhu lovers are working with patriotism and integrity in all areas from the grassroots to the national level, they will come to leadership through this conference – this is our hope.

All preparations completed: Meanwhile, Awami League has completed all preparations for the 22nd National Conference yesterday. 11 sub-committees are working on the occasion of the National Conference. According to tradition, the chairman of the conference preparation committee is party president Sheikh Hasina and member secretary general secretary Obaidul Quader. Responsible leaders are working day and night to make this conference a success. Phase by phase meeting, distribution of invitations, addition of constitution, division, modification of declaration, decoration of the stage and all ancillary work completed on time. Leaders and activists including councilors-delegates from each upazila and union of 78 organizational districts of the country have come to Dhaka. Most of them are staying in various residential hotels. Some have gone to relatives’ homes. They are waiting for today’s conference. Keeping Sheikh Hasina in the position of president, who else is coming to the new leadership?

The president of the party and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the conference by flying a dove symbol of peace at the historical Suhrawardy Udyan at 10:30 am today. Party President National Flag and General Secretary Obaidul Quader will hoist the party flag. At the same time, presidents and general secretaries of 78 organizational district units will hoist the party flags designated for their respective districts. After that, the central leaders will take their seats on the stage. A cultural program will be presented for half an hour. After that, the condolence proposal will be raised by the office secretary, Barrister Biplab Barua. General Secretary’s report will be presented by Obaidul Quader. Sheikh Fazlul Karim Salim, convenor of the reception committee, will deliver the welcome speech. The first session of the conference will end with the speech of President Sheikh Hasina.

About 7 thousand councilors and lakhs of leaders and workers from 78 organizational units from all over the country will participate in this year’s national conference. Later, the council session will begin at the Engineers Institution Auditorium. The president and general secretary of the party will be elected in this session. A three-member election commission has been formed to elect the party’s leadership.

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said that all the preparations for the conference have been completed, but this year’s conference will be simple, but the leaders and activists will descend on Sohrawadi Udyan. This time the conference was not decorated because the people of the country are in trouble. Awami League President Sheikh Hasina thinks about the people of the country. This conference is being done simply thinking about the people of the country.

Apart from the main stage of the conference, a separate stage is being prepared for the cultural phase at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital. Chairs will be arranged in four rows on the main stage. Party President Sheikh Hasina and General Secretary Obaidul Quader will sit in the first row. The second consists of advisory council members, senior leaders and members of the presidium, while the other two consist of central leaders. A total of 120 chairs will be placed on the stage. An 80 feet by 44 feet stage made in the shape of a boat has been constructed on top of the Padma Bridge. The height of the main stage is 7 feet. Chairs will be arranged in four parts on the main stage. There will also be sufficient number of LED monitors, where the proceedings of the conference can be seen.

Incidentally, the last conference of Awami League was held on 20 and 21 December 2019. The budget of the last conference was Tk 3 crore 43 lakh. The National Committee of Awami League has approved the budget of Tk 3 crore 13 lakh for this year’s conference.