Awami League (Pakistan)

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Awami League
عوامی لیگ (Urdu)
আওয়ামী লীগ (Bengali)
AbbreviationAL
Historical leader(s) Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Founder Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
Founded23 June 1949 (1949-06-23)
Dissolved26 March 1971 (1971-03-26)
Split from ML
Succeeded by AL
Headquarters Dacca, East Pakistan
Newspaper Ittefaq
Ideology Bengali nationalism (after 1966)
Socialism
Democratic socialism
Factions:
Secularism
Islamic socialism
Political position Left-wing
Colors  Green
Party flag
First Flag of Bangladesh Awami League (1947-1971).png

Awami League, known as Awami Muslim League before 1955, was an East Pakistan-based Pakistani political party founded by Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy in February 1950. Pir of Manki Sharif and Khan Ghulam Mohammad Khan from the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) joined it soon afterwards. [1] [2]

Contents

History

In East Pakistan, East Pakistan Awami Muslim League (Bengali : পূর্ব পাকিস্তান আওয়ামী মুসলিম লীগ) was founded by Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani and Yar Mohammad Khan in 23 June 1949. [2] It was established as the Bengali alternative to the Urdu dominated Muslim League in Pakistan and over centralization of the government. The party quickly gained massive popular support in East Bengal. [3] In the 1954 provincial election in Bengal, the party won 143 seats. The United Front of East Pakistan led by Haq, Bhasani and Surahwardhy the party won a total of 223 seats, soundly defeating the Muslim League with 10 seats. [4]

In 1950, Iftikhar Mamdot, who was dismissed from the premiership of Punjab, formed a party called Jinnah Muslim League. The two parties merged to form Jinnah Awami Muslim League prior to the provincial elections in 1951. [5] In the Punjab provincial election in 1951, the Jinnah Awami Muslim League polled 18.3 percent votes and won 32 seats. [5] In the NWFP, it won four seats. [1]

Subsequently, the two parties merged in 1959 and used the name All Pakistan Awami Muslim League. [6] The party later dropped All Pakistan and named the party Awami Muslim League in East Pakistan. Later, the party evolved under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (himself a former aide to Suharwardy) and was named the Awami League . [3] After long arduous consultations and negotiations by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with the West Pakistan establishment of remaining united as a single nation without bloodshed eventually led the forces of Bangladesh nationalism in the struggle against West Pakistan's military, socio economic and political control, and the civil establishment. [3]

After Operation Searchlight, in a radio address on the evening of March 26, Yahya Khan, the then president of Pakistan, declared the Awami League treasonous and banned the party. In addition to this, the government seized the bank accounts of the Awami League. [7]

President

President [8] [9] Elected
(National Council; NC)
In OfficeTerm length
Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani NC: 1949, 53, 5523 June 1949 – 27 July 19567 years, 34 days
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy (acting)27 July 1956 – 10 October 19571 year, 75 days
Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish NC: 1957, 6410 October 1957 – 25 January 19668 years, 107 days
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman NC: 1966, 7025 January 1966 – 26 March 19715 years, 60 days

General Secretary

NameAssumed officeLeft officeRef
Shamsul Huq 19491953 [10]
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 19531966 [11]
Tajuddin Ahmad 19661972 [11]

State leaders

Flag of the Prime Minister of Pakistan.svg
Prime Minister of Pakistan
NameTerm in office
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy 1956–1957
Flag of Pakistan.svg
Chief Minister of East Pakistan
NameTerm in office
Ataur Rahman Khan 1956–1958

Electoral history

Pakistan National Assembly elections

ElectionParty leaderVotes%Seats+/–PositionGovernment
1970 Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 12,937,16239.2%
160 / 300
Increase2.svg 160Increase2.svg 1stOpposition

East Pakistan Provincial Assembly elections

ElectionVotes%Seats+/–PositionGovernment
1954
143 / 237
Increase2.svg 143Increase2.svg 1stGovernment
1970 12,937,16273.2%
288 / 300
Increase2.svg 45Steady2.svg 1stOpposition

Note

After the 1970 election it was blocked from governing by the West Pakistan

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References

  1. 1 2 Kamran, Early phase of electoral politics in Pakistan 2009, p. 269.
  2. 1 2 Chowdhury, Moulana Bhashani Leader of the Toiling Masses 2012, p. 72.
  3. 1 2 3 Abu Zafar Shamsddin, Atmasriti (Self-memories) -1st part, Dhaka, 2011.
  4. Kamran, Early phase of electoral politics in Pakistan 2009, p. 277–278.
  5. 1 2 Kamran, Early phase of electoral politics in Pakistan 2009, p. 264.
  6. Kamran, Early phase of electoral politics in Pakistan 2009, p. 274.
  7. Chowdhury, pp. 58.
  8. "AL holds 20th council with Sheikh Hasina as longest-serving president". Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha . 21 October 2016. Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  9. কতটুকু এগিয়েছে আওয়ামী লীগ. Prothom Alo (Opinion) (in Bengali). 23 June 2016. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017.
  10. "Bangladesh Awami League, a pioneer in practicing democracy within party". Bangladesh Awami League. 23 July 2009. Archived from the original on 17 June 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  11. 1 2 "Bangladesh Awami League Constitution". Bangladesh Awami League. Archived from the original on 24 January 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2020.

Bibliography