Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said grassroots leaders and workers are the lifeblood of Awami League as they always stood consolidated at any political crisis and steered forward her party by mobilising public opinion.

As thousands of senior and young councillors profusely greeted Hasina on her re-election as the party chief with bouquets and sweets at her official residence Jamuna throughout the day yesterday, she said the faithful lower order of the party played a crucial role when she was arrested by the caretaker government.

Hasina expressed her confidence that these grassroots workers would play an important role in successfully foiling "any conspiracy against democracy" and help the nation overcome any crisis. She was elected president of the ruling Awami League in the council session on Friday for the sixth term since 1981.

The Awami League chief and PM advised the councillors to work hard in their respective areas to help fulfil the party's election commitments as well as government's development programmes. The councillors who met Hasina came from Dhaka City, Pabna, Cox's Bazar, Kurigram, Chuadanga, Dinajpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Panchagarh and Barisal. Meanwhile, various organisations and individuals yesterday greeted Sheikh Hasina for being elected as the president of Awami League (AL).

In a message, chief whip of Jatiya Sangsad Vice- Principal Md Abdus Shaheed expressed his warm greetings to the newly-elected AL leaders. "With the pragmatic and reasonable leadership of the new leaders, the dream of Bangabandhu for a Sonar Bangla would be materialised soon," he said urging all leaders and activists of the AL to follow the directives and guidance of the leaders to implement the vision-2021.

Bangladesh Supreme Court Bar Association president AFM Mesbahuddin and general secretary SM Rezaul Karim at a joint statement greeted the newly-elected AL leaders. They said the new leadership would uphold the glorious past of the AL, one of the most ancient political organisations in the country.

In a separate message, leaders of Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote felicitated Sheikh Hasina and Syed Ashraful Islam on their election as the President and the General secretary of the AL respectively. Leaders of the United Kingdom Awami League, in a message, thanked the councilors of the AL for electing Sheikh Hasina and Syed Ashraful Islam as the president and the general secretary of the party.

They also hoped that the AL and its front organisations and associate bodies would get time-befitting directives and guidance from the newly-elected leaders.
In another welcome message, president and general secretary of Bangabandhu Shishu Academy Prof Dr Sultana Shafi and Ansar Uddin Rafique greeted Sheikh Hasina and Ashraful Islam.

They hoped that the new leaders would work with all 'soldiers' of the Bangabandhu's ideology for successful implementation of the vision-2021. Meanwhile, Bangladesh T&T Sramik Karmachari Federal Union (BTTSKFU) in a meeting held yesterday afternoon felicitated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Syed Ashraful Islam on their being elected president and general secretary of Awami League.

The BTTSKFU leaders said BTCL would have to be reverted to BTTB if the dream for "Digital Bangladesh" is to be realised. There is no other way to reach Internet facilities to remote areas of the country, they said. They termed the draft organogram of BTCL as against the interests of workers and employees as here is no guarantee of the jobs of about 10,000 officers, workers and employees, says a press release.

-The Independent