AL embarks on a lavish council

The Awami League is planning a grand triennial council at the Suhrawardy Udyan with an estimated cost of Tk 10 crore.

Shaped like a boat, the party's electoral symbol, a 25-feet stage with a seating capacity of 120 would be made for Tk 90 lakh. It would look like it is floating on water from a distance.

There would be 35-feet tall LED screens as background of the stage.

The 20th triennial council of the party is scheduled to be on October 22-23 with an estimated cost of over Tk 10 crore, said party insiders. The party slogan for the event is: “We are marching down the development highway, now is the time for Bangladesh to stand tall.”

They said AL President Sheikh Hasina has warned party men that no fund raising in the name of council would be tolerated. The sub-committees formed for the council will manage the fund and she will pay for the any fund shortfall, they said.

Sources said the party president during her weekly cabinet meeting had mentioned that the AL would meet all costs of the council from its own funds. They said the AL has around Tk 21 crore in three banks.

They said the AL party instructed its lawmakers in the capital to bear the cost of billboards and illuminations in their areas.

The Awami League will illuminate selected public places across the country with colourful lights. Many intersections of the capital will also get this treatment along with neon billboards.

The party has written to presidents and general secretaries of district and upazila units to have their offices illuminated with colourful lights, and public places at the union level.

"This time the Awami League council will be held in a different manner. There is a lot of anticipation about the council among people and we will not disappoint," AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif told The Daily Star.

The party has been in power for seven and half years, he said, adding, "We would like to celebrate the success with the countrymen through this council."

Party top leaders, foreign delegates and invited guests of political parties would be on the stage.

The space for the 50,000 councillors would have a bamboo structure covered by tarpaulin.

Former students of the Faculty of Fine Arts, Dhaka University, would prepare the stage, while several event management companies would do the rest.

Next to the stage, there would be sand art depicting past political events of the country, including the Language Movement, Liberation War, the assassination of Bangabandhu and his family members. Artists will be brought in from India.

The Awami League wants to ensure presence of delegates from foreign political parties.

It is trying to have Indian ruling BJP President Amit Shah, delegates from Chinese Communist Party and the British opposition Labour Party. The party invited Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of India, Indian National Congress, Communist Party of India and Trinamool Congress.

The AL has a plan to invite political parties of the Saarc countries and make a call for forging unity against terrorism and militancy.

"We want the participation of several political parties. We already sent invitation to some of them and the process is going on," said AL's International Affair Secretary Faruk Khan.

"We will confirm who will come and who will not in the first week of October," he said.

The AL will arrange their trips and Tk 2 crore has been earmarked for the purpose, said sources.

Besides, AL has been making arrangements for food for around 25,000 councillors and delegates for two days and the party will be spending about Tk 2 crore that, said a member of the food sub-committee.