A team of central leaders of Awami League led by senior joint general secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday visited Bangabandhu Convention Centre (Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre), the venue of the party's 20th national council, to review the security arrangements in and outside the auditorium.

Accompanied by chief of the Special Security Force (SSF) Brigadier General Zainal Abedin, the Awami League team went round the convention centre and inquired about the overall preparations regarding smooth and peaceful holding of the national council on July 24.

A meeting of the publicity sub-committee was also held there with its convener Asaduzzaman Noor in the chair, according to a central leader of Awami League. Other members of the AL team who visited the venue were AL office secretary and convener of office sub-committee Advocate Abdul Mannan Khan, assistant publicity secretary Asim Kumar Ukil, Dhaka City AL general secretary Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya (Bir Bikram) and Awami Swechchasebak League president AFM Bahauddin Nasim.

A central leader of the party said the AL team expressed satisfaction over the security arrangements at the venue, where a fool-proof security would be ensured on the day. He said that as part of the council preparations, invitation cards, councillors' and delegate's cards, posters and other printing work had already been completed while work on preparing the general secretary's report to be placed at the council was progressing fast.

Different political parties, excluding the main opposition BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and other fundamentalist parties, would be invited to the inauguration session of the council, according to a party central leader, who preferred anonymity. However, he said, "But, I personally want BNP should be invited to our national council as the main opposition political party, not the fundamentalist political parties."

Another central leader said, "I will raise the issue at the meeting of the sub-committee with a plea that BNP is not a fundamentalist party and it should be invited to the inaugural session of our national council." Besides, envoys of different diplomatic missions, elite of the society, professionals and cultural personalities would also be invited to the national council of AL being organised nearly seven years after its last national council held on December 26 in 2002.

AL joint general secretary and spokesman Syed Ashraful Islam had a meeting with the conveners and joint conveners of discipline and publicity and publication sub-committees in the evening yesterday to review the preparations of the council. He also inquired about the overall preparations of the council and instructed them to complete all the work well ahead of the council.

Besides, Awami League presidium members Amir Hossain Amu and Begum Matia Chowdhury, one of the election commissioners for the council Advocate Rahmat Ali, organising secretary Abdul Mannan, liberation war affairs secretary Captain (Retd) AB Tajul Islam, office secretary Advocate Abdul Mannan Khan, science and technology affairs secretary architect Yafes Osman and other leaders turned up at the political office of AL president Sheikh Hasina at Dhanmondi to monitor the preparations of the council.

Abdul Mannan, who has been entrusted with responsibilities of preparing the draft list of councillors of AL district units to be placed at the meeting of the Awami League Central Working Committee on July 22 for approval, was found busy in the evening yesterday preparing the list of councillors.

Begum Matia Chowdhury, Yafes Osman, BM Mozammel Huq, Mrinal Kanti Das and other leaders had been assisting Abdul Mannan in completing the work. Assistant publicity secretary Asim Kumar Ukil said printing work and other preparations for the council had already been completed and distribution of invitation cards will be started from today.

He added that the draft programme of the council had also been prepared which included hoisting of the national and party flags, rendering of the national anthem, release of white pigeons and balloons, recitation from the verses of holy books, placing of obituary reference, welcome address and the inaugural address by party president Sheikh Hasina in the inaugural session.

In the second session, Asim Ukil said reports of general secretary, seven organising secretaries and districts would be placed, budget of the council would also be placed and passed while amended party constitution and declaration would also be approved as well as election for formation of a new committee of AL would be held.

-The Independent