Awami League (Pakistan)

Political party in Pakistan

Awami League

عوامی لیگ (Urdu)
আওয়ামী লীগ (Bengali)

Abbreviation| AL
Historical leader(s)| Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Founder| Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
Founded| 23 June 1949 (1949-06-23)
Dissolved| 26 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

* Politics of Pakistan
* Political parties
* Elections

* Politics of Bangladesh
* Political parties
* Elections

Awami League, known as Awami Muslim League before 1955, was a 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]

## History[edit]

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 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 4 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[edit]

President[8][9] | Elected
(National Council; NC) | In Office | Term length

|
|
|

Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani | NC: 1949, 53, 55  | 23 June 1949 – 27 July 1956  | 7 years, 34 days
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy | (acting)  | 27 July 1956 – 10 October 1957  | 1 year, 75 days
Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish | NC: 1957, 64  | 10 October 1957 – 25 January 1966  | 8 years, 107 days
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman | NC: 1966, 70  | 25 January 1966 – 26 March 1971  | 5 years, 60 days

## General Secretary[edit]

Name  | Assumed office  | Left office  | Ref

|
|
|

Shamsul Huq | 1949  | 1953  | [10]
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman | 1953  | 1966  | [11]
Tajuddin Ahmad | 1966  | 1972  | [11]

## State leaders[edit]

Prime Minister of Pakistan

Name  | Term in office
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy | 1956–1957

Chief Minister of East Pakistan

Name  | Term in office
Ataur Rahman Khan | 1956–1958

## Electoral history[edit]

Pakistan National Assembly elections

Election  | Party leader  | Votes  | %  | Seats  | +/–  | Position  | Government

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1970 | Sheikh Mujibur Rahman | 12,937,162  | 39.2%  |

160 / 300

|  160  |  1st  | Opposition

East Pakistan Provincial Assembly elections

Election  | Votes  | %  | Seats  | +/–  | Position  | Government

|
|
|
|
|
|

1954 |  |  |

143 / 237

|  143  |  1st  | Government
1970 | 12,937,162  | 73.2%  |

288 / 300

|  45  |  1st  | Opposition

Note

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

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b Kamran, Early phase of electoral politics in Pakistan 2009, p. 269.
2. ^ a b Chowdhury, Moulana Bhashani Leader of the Toiling Masses 2012, p. 72.
3. ^ a b c Abu Zafar Shamsddin, Atmasriti (Self-memories) -1st part, Dhaka, 2011.
4. ^ Kamran, Early phase of electoral politics in Pakistan 2009, p. 277–278.
5. ^ a b 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. ^ a b "Bangladesh Awami League Constitution". Bangladesh Awami League. Archived from the original on 24 January 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2020.

## Bibliography[edit]

* Chowdhury, Anisuzzaman (2012), Moulana Bhashani Leader of the Toiling Masses: Leader of the Toiling Masses, Moulana Bhashani Foundation, ISBN 978-1-4691-3790-2
* Kamran, Tahir (July–December 2009). "Early phase of electoral politics in Pakistan: 1950s". South Asian Studies. 24 (2): 257–282.
* Samad, Yunas (1995), A Nation in Turmoil: Nationalism and Ethnicity in Pakistan, 1937-1958, Sage, ISBN 978-0-8039-9214-6
* Chowdhury, Afsan (2021). ১৯৭১: অসহযোগ আন্দোলন ও প্রতিরোধ [1971: Non-Cooperation Movement and Resistance] (in Bengali). Dhaka: Kothaprokash. ISBN 9789845101332.

* v
* t
* e

Bangladesh Awami League

Presidents|

* Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani (1949–56)
* Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy (1956–57)
* Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish (1957–66)
* Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1966–74)
* Muhammad Qamaruzzaman (1974–75)
* Syeda Zohra Tajuddin (Convenor) (1977–78)
* Abdul Malek Ukil (1978–81)
* Sheikh Hasina (1981– present)

General secretaries|

* Shamsul Huq
* Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
* Tajuddin Ahmad
* Zillur Rahman
* Abdur Razzaq
* Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury
* Zillur Rahman
* Abdul Jalil
* Sayed Ashraful Islam
* Obaidul Quader

Internal Organisations|

* Constitution
* National Conference
* Central Working Committee
* Advisory Council

Political wings|

* Students League (Students wing)
* Youth League (Youth wing)
* Mukti Bahini (Armed Wing)
* Krishak League (Farmers wing)
* Sramik League (Trade union wing)
* Swechasebak League (Volunteers wing)
* Mohila Awami League (Women wing)

Related organisations|

* Centre for Research and Information
* Young Bangla

History|

* Pakistan Era:
* Two-nation theory
* All Pakistan Awami Muslim League
* Language Movement
* United Front
* Six point movement
* Agartala Conspiracy Case
* 1970 Pakistani general election
* Non-cooperation movement (1971)
* 7 March Speech of Bangabandhu

* Bangladesh Liberation War:
* Independence Declaration
* Provisional Government
* Mujibnagar
* Mukti Bahini
* Joy Bangla

* Sheikh Mujib Administration:
* Famine of 1974
* Second Revolution
* BAKSAL
* Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
* Jail Killing Day
* Indemnity Act

* Sheikh Hasina Era:
* 1988 Chittagong massacre
* Caretaker government
* 2004 Dhaka grenade attack
* 2006–08 crisis
* Logi Boitha Rally
* International Crimes Tribunal
* Vision 2021
* Graft scandal
* Sheikh–Wazed family

Presence in governments|

* Prime Minister of Pakistan:
* Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy (1956–1957)

* Chief Minister of East Pakistan:
* Ataur Rahman Khan (1956–1958)

* President of Bangladesh:
* Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1971–1972; 1975)
* Abu Sayeed Chowdhury (1972–1973)
* Mohammad Mohammadullah (1974–1975)
* Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad (1975)
* Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem (1975–1977)
* Zillur Rahman (2009–2013)
* Abdul Hamid (2013–2023)
* Mohammed Shahabuddin (2023–Present)

* Vice President of Bangladesh:
* Syed Nazrul Islam (1971–1972)

* Prime Minister of Bangladesh:
* Tajuddin Ahmad (1971–1972)
* Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1972–1975)
* Muhammad Mansur Ali (1975)
* Sheikh Hasina (1996–2001; 2009-Present)

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