Today marks the birth anniversary of the oldest and most powerful political force in Bangladesh, the Awami League. Seventy-six years ago, on this very day, a movement was born, not by royal decree, not by military favour, but from the fire in the hearts of those who believed the people of East Bengal deserved dignity, voice, and freedom.
This party didn’t come wrapped in glory; it fought for it. From the language movement to the battlefield of 1971, from resisting military rule to rebuilding a war-torn nation, the Awami League didn’t just witness Bangladesh’s story; it wrote it.
And today, as the country stands at a crossroads, silenced, bruised, broken by an unelected illegal regime, we’re reminded again of a truth so often tested but never erased:
“As long as Bangladesh exists, no one can erase the Awami League from its soil. Time and again, it’s been proven that the only alternative to the Awami League is the Awami League. Because when the Awami League wins, Bangladesh wins. When Awami League stands, Bangladesh stands.”
Those who thought they could silence the Awami League by banning its politics once again misunderstood the roots of this party. You can’t outlaw a heartbeat. You can’t detain an idea that lives in the soul of a nation.
To the fighters in hiding, the workers in prison, and the voices still whispering “Joy Bangla” in the dark, we see you. And to the oppressors, here’s a lesson from history: you can crush a flower, but you can’t stop spring.
Happy birthday to the only party that gave us a country. Awami League lives, so Bangladesh lives.
Taskin Wahed Akash: Writer, activist
Bengali 
English