Morning News
26th January 1964
East Pakistan Awami League Revived
CONVENTION OF WORKERS SOON
Suhrawardy Never Opposed Revival, Says Mujib
(By Our Staff Reporter)
The Awami League stands revived in East Pakistan. The decision for revival was taken at an extended meeting of the Provincial Working Committee held in Dacca yesterday afternoon at the residence of former General Secretary, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The party will soon call a convention of its workers to place before them a comprehensive programme for the restoration of the “rights of the people” through constitutional means. After four hours of deliberations which were participated mainly by the “like-minded” politicians, the meeting was adjourned till 9 a.m. today (Sunday) when organisational matters will be discussed.
Later, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman told “Morning News” that the founder of Awami League, Mr. H.S.Suhrawardy, was never opposed to the revival of the party.
He said at no time, Mr. Suhrawardy wanted the dissolution of the Awami League. The departed leader favoured the formation of a National Democratic Front and the revived party would also make endeavours to extend co-operation to the NDF on the “basis of a minimum agreed programme of all the component political parties.”
He pointed out that the party had already been revived in West Pakistan and a similar decision had to be taken in this province to activise political workers and to remove all sense of frustration.
The extended meeting of the Working Committee was attended by former Ministers, Mr. Abdur Rahman Khan, Mr. Masihur Rahman, Mr.Abdus Salam Khan and Mr. Zahiruddin who was formerly General Secretary of the Pakistan Awami League. A number of former and sitting members of the National and Provincial Assemblies including Begum Rokeya Anwar, Mr. Ahmad Ali Mandal, Mr. Qamruzzaman, Mr. Amjad Hossain, Begum Amina, Mrs. Badrunissa and Mrs. Mehrunnissa were also present.
The former President of the East Pakistan Awami League, Maulana Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish was in the chair.
Among notable absentees at the meeting were the former Chief Minister Mr. Ataur Rahman Khan, the former Central Minister Mr. Abul Mansur Ahmad and the party’s former Chief Whip in the Provincial Assembly Mr. Abdul Jabbar Khaddar.
A Small section of the Awami League headed by Mr. Ataur Rahman Khan, it seemed continued to oppose the revival of the party. The organisational wing of the party led by Shiekh Mujibur Rahman, however, fully supported the revival. Out of 31 members of the Working Committee, 23 attended the meeting. Representatives and organisers from various districts of the province were also present.
While adopting a resolution for the revival, the meeting expressed its determination to reorganise the Awami League as a “mass organisatioin.”
The meeting expressed its profound sorrow at the death of Mr. Suhrawardy and also adopted other resolutions on riots in West Bengal, disturbances in East Pakistan, and freedom of the Press.
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