AL’s new office building to be inaugurated today

GB news 24 desk//

Awami League’s newly constructed 10-storey own office building with modern facilities will be inaugurated at the 23 Bangabandhu Avenue in Gulistan here today.

Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will formally inaugurate the activities of party office at the new building by cutting a cake at 10 am, coinciding with the 69th founding anniversary of the Awami League, AL Office Secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap told BSS.

Party insiders said during the inaugural ceremony, AL Presidium Member and Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain will hand over the key of the new office to the Awami League President.

After the inauguration, the Prime Minister will fix rooms for presidium members, joint general secretaries, other leaders and associate organisations at the building.

Awami League Organising secretary Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said the 10-storey building was built on 8 katha of land with the party’s own finance.

Though the initial cost of the building construction was estimated Taka 10 crore, it took more money because of increased rate of construction materials, he said.

Large rooms have been kept at the building for the AL President and its General Secretary. President’s room is attached with a prayers room and a restroom. There are a digital library, a VIP lounge, a journalists’ lounge, a dormitory and a canteen at the building. Besides, it has two separate car parking lifts and fire extinguishing facilities.

Offices of Dhaka City Awami League and AL associate bodies, including Jubo League, Bangladesh Chhatra League, Krishak League, Swechchhasebak League and Mahila League, will be there.

AL completed the process of taking a lease on the four-storey old office building at the 23 Bangabandhu Avenue in 2011. Later, the party took an initiative to construct a new building. AL President Sheikh Hasina approved the design of the new building on April 6, 2016. Dismantling work of the old nestablishment began on July 17 in 2016. Inauguration of constriction works of the new building began on June 23 last year.

The name of ‘Bangladesh Awami League’ has been inscribed with large steel alphabets on building’s front side. Party symbol ‘Boat’ is next to that. A mural of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is on the upper side of the building. Murals of Liberation War and surrender of Pakistani troops at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan have also been set at the building.

“Joy Bangla Joy Bangabandhu” slogan and four principles of the party have been inscribed at the front wall of the building. The party has a plan to build a permanent monument in memory of the August 21, 2004 martyrs in front of the building.

AL sources said after the inauguration of the building, all organisational activities of the party will be held there. But, election campaigning and activities of party’s research wing – Center for Research and information (CRI) – will be conducted from the party president’s Dhanmondi political office, they said.