From Mani to Parash: Jubo League’s progress in movement, struggle and humanity
Bangladesh Awami Jubo League has become the largest youth organization in South Asia, crossing the borders of the country. This organization, the heartbeat of billions of youth, has been playing a unique role in the movement, struggle and humanity since its inception. The journey of Jubo League started on November 11, 1972 by the hand of Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani under the instructions of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the great architect of independence, the dreamer of Bangladesh. Various adversities, thousands of movements and struggles, the sacrifices of thousands of leaders and activists, sometimes on the streets, sometimes in humanity, the leaders and activists of the organization are passing 51 years. Bangladesh Awami Jubo League, which has been verified through hard struggle, has settled in the hearts of the country, soil and people.
Under the guidance of Bangabandhu, the former president of the Chhatra League of this country, the pioneer of the youth movement, one of the organizers of the liberation war, the head of Mujib's army, writer, journalist, columnist Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani established the Bangladesh Awami Jubo League. The motto of the freedom and liberation war of Bangladesh is democracy, society free from exploitation, i.e. social justice, nationalism, religious neutrality, the right of people of all religions to practice their own religion freely, eliminating unemployment, eliminating poverty, alleviating poverty, expanding education, institutionalizing democracy, non-sectarian.
The main goal of Jubo League is to build a self-reliant economy in Bangladesh and to establish the fair rights of the youth. Since its inception, Jubo League has been working to build a disciplined organization by uniting independent and progressive youth and young women from all walks of life and educating them in political education to implement this mission and vision.
Since its birth, the leaders and activists of Jubo League have dedicated themselves to the development of the country's infrastructure and nation building, and have repeatedly colored the streets while struggling against the evil forces against independence and their fault, the tyranny of the dictator. On August 15, 1975, while protesting against the killing of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family, Jubo League leader Abdul Khalek Khosru in Bogra and Jubo League leader Maulvi Chayed Ahmad Nirmam in Chittagong were killed under the wrath of the then government. Later, numerous leaders and activists of Jubo League spent a miserable life.
In 1981, Jubo League was the first to raise the demand to bring Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina back to the country. Amir Hossain Amu, the then Jubo League Chairman, now one of the members of the Awami League Advisory Council, made the first statement to bring Bangabandhukanya back to the country. In order to create public opinion, Jubo League leaders and activists distributed leaflets ignoring hundreds of adversities. After Sheikh Hasina's return to the country, the struggle to restore democracy began, the leaders and activists of Jubo League played a leading role in this journey. On November 10, 1987, the streets roared to avenge the fresh blood of youth leader Noor Hossain in the anti-dictatorship movement, which forced the ouster of dictator Ershad.
On August 27, 1990, Badruddin Ahmad Badu, the president of Ward No. 53 of Dhaka Metropolitan South, committed suicide in the anti-Ershad movement. Apart from this, Jubo League's exemplary role in the 1996 National Parliament elections, on August 21, 2004, with the direct support of the BNP coalition government, the terrible grenade attack aimed at killing national leaders including the then leader of the opposition party, Sheikh Hasina, on August 17, 2005, the Jubo League was vocal and unstoppable in protesting the simultaneous series of bomb attacks across the country. The Logi-Baitha movement on October 28, 2006, the movement for the release of Awami League President Sheikh Hasina in 2007, and the Awami Jubo League played a leading role in establishing a democratic government. The Jubo League has always played a brave role as the loyal vanguard of the people's leader Sheikh Hasina in the street movement and struggle.
In the context of 1/11, when Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina was imprisoned, Jubo League played a brave role in the movement for her release. Many leaders and activists of the organization were arrested and tortured. On December 29, 2008, the participation of Awami Jubo League leaders and activists at the forefront of the vote revolution was remarkable. The Jubo League was also vocal on the streets as a continuous shadow partner of the Awami League government to complete the trial of the accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity and to prevent the destructive plan of custody on May 5 and 6, 2013. The Awami League government was formed under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the election of January 5, 2014. Just then, when the BNP Jamaat created an unstable situation in the country through arson, bombing and killing people, the Jubo League was always ready on the streets to make the highest sacrifices to resist and prevent them.
The grand coalition led by Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina won the last 11th parliamentary elections. As a result, Awami League President Sheikh Hasina took charge as the Prime Minister for the fourth time. However, BNP and Jamaat engaged in domestic and foreign conspiracies to question the election before and after the election. Because the disunited BNP-Jamaat already knew that the people were not with them, not on their side, that is why they tried to catch fish in the mud but the Jubo League failed that attempt.
Seven National Congresses have been held since its inception. In the first Congress in 1974 Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani Chairman and Advocate Syed Ahmed General Secretary, in 1978 in the Second Congress Amir Hossain Amu Chairman and Fakir Abdur Razzak General Secretary, in 1986 in the Third Congress Mostafa Mohsin Montu Chairman and Phulu Sarkar General Secretary, in 1996 in the Fourth Congress Sheikh Fazlul Karim Saleem Chairman and Advocate Kazi Iqbal Hossain General Secretary, Advocate Jahangir Kabir Nanak Chairman and Mirza Azam General Secretary in 5th Congress in 2003 and Mohammad Omar Farooq Chowdhury Chairman and Md. Harunur Rashid General Secretary were elected in 2012 in 6th Congress.
The last congress of the organization was held on 23 November 2019. In order to bring back the image of Jubo League, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina appointed Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash as Chairman and Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil as General Secretary in the second meeting of the Seventh National Congress of Jubo League at Engineers Institute.
Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash told the leaders and workers in his first response after being elected as the chairman of the Jubo League, "I will work by your side not as a chairman of the Jubo League, but as an activist, you will be my strength, to keep the youth society united for the ideals of my father Sheikh Mani, Bangabandhu and the liberation war. This organization did. I take courage from Bangabandhu's sacrifice and his daughter's heart's love for the country. So today I want to say in front of you, I will fulfill the responsibility that is being assigned to me with complete honesty.
Jubo League Chairman Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash and General Secretary Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil have given a new look to the Jubo League since taking charge. By correcting some mistakes of the past, they brought the Jubo League back to a positive trend. Jubo League regained new momentum under the missionary and visionary leadership of Sheikh Mani's worthy successor Sheikh Fazle Shams Parsh. He started trying hard to strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by implementing the true ideals of Bangabandhu within the Jubo League workers. Due to his tireless efforts, the Jubo League has become the lifeblood of the youth today.
Apart from the street movement, Jubo League has awakened human values in humanitarian activities since taking responsibility. After the outbreak of corona virus in Bangladesh, Jubo League Chairman Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash and General Secretary Md Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil ordered all the leaders and activists from the center of Jubo League to the Trinamool to raise awareness about the risk of the virus.
Hand sanitizers, soaps and masks were distributed by the leaders and workers of all levels of the organization. Later, as the lockdown began, cooked food was distributed to people. 24 hours citizen service were provided. Jubo League workers and leaders have stood by the helpless people according to their ability. For the past few years, distributing cooked food to the needy during the holy month of Ramadan and during the mournful month of August has become a routine work of the Jubo League.
As part of the Mujib year program in the second year of Sheikh Mani's worthy successor, Jubo League organized a tree plantation program across the country under the slogan 'Plant trees, save life' under the directive of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The leaders and workers of the organization participated in three types of tree plantation - fruit, forest and medicine. After this instruction, the leaders of various levels of the organization including metropolis, district, upazila, union, ward level have carried out this program with honesty and devotion as well as personal initiative of the organization.
Bangladesh Awami Jubo League extended its hand of cooperation first and foremost in the successful implementation of all the humanitarian programs of the Prime Minister. During Corona when laborers were not available for harvesting paddy. Just then, in the instructions of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Jubo League leaders and activists across the country voluntarily stood by the farmers. The farmer's ripe rice has been cut and delivered home. They even threshed rice and filled it with balls. Not only that, when the relatives of the family did not come forward for the burial of the person who died due to corona, the Awami Jubo League leaders and activists completed the burial work of the person who died due to corona. This is another example in the history of Bangladesh politics. During Durga Puja in 2021, Jubo League has played a brave role in protecting communal harmony in the face of the communal evils that rose up in different parts of the country. Jubo League leaders and activists were also in the field as volunteers, organizing harmony rallies, building resistance in districts, maintaining law and order in temples.
Jubo League has won the most praise for its humanitarian activities during the Corona pandemic, with its unprecedented housing initiative for the landless. On the occasion of the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Jubo League took up this program inspired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's shelter project, which is still ongoing. Jubo League is the only political organization in Bangladesh which has set a rare humanitarian example in the political arena by gifting houses to the landless from private funds.
But in the name of anti-government movement last year, BNP's divisional rally, December 10 ultimatum, to provide security to the common people under the threat of paralyzing the country and to counter all conspiracies against Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina, returned to its original appearance on the streets again under the bold and far-reaching leadership of Sheikh Mani's Jubo League Sheikh Parash.
Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Bangabandhu, has successfully managed the country for three consecutive terms and earned national and international praise. Capitalizing on the development and progress of the government, with the trust and faith of the people, Sheikh Hasina will come to serve the country for the fourth time. Contrary to such thinking, a domestic and foreign clique is conspiring to bring an undemocratic government to power, disrupting the country's progress. Always those whose position is against our liberation war, independence and sovereignty.
In the name of political program, on October 28, BNP leaders and activists attacked the residence of the Chief Justice for the first time in the history of independent Bangladesh with the help of international circles. They also attacked the hospital. A police constable was brutally beaten to death. 30 journalists were also injured. After this, for the last few days, in the name of strike and blockade, buses have been set on fire, vehicles have been vandalized in various parts of the country and violence and riots have been carried out across the country. The anti-independence circle Jamaat has joined.
The most traditional youth organization of the subcontinent organized the biggest youth gathering on the occasion of 50 years and golden jubilee at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan on November 11 last year. Jubo League is the proof of their political power and the lifeblood of youth society. The youth society of this country is inspired by the ideals of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the spirit of liberation war. Chairman of Bangladesh Awami Jubo League Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash believes that those who are against the development and progress of this country and want to take Bangladesh back to Pakistan's ideology by taking a position and spreading the poison of fire terror and sectarianism will be stopped by the leadership of Jubo League. All the leaders and activists of Jubo League are ready to make the highest sacrifice for the leader of Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina on the streets to implement this belief of hers. To this end, Jubo League is holding constituencies-based rally in the name of peace and development rally to prevent the violence of BNP Jamaat.
Awami League president, Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina, with the dream of Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash as chairman and Md. Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil as general secretary, has already achieved success under this leadership of Jubo League. Under the brave leadership of Parash-Nikhil, all the leaders and activists of Jubo League will be on the field for the successful implementation of all positive activities as the trusted vanguard of the statesman Sheikh Hasina, overcoming all obstacles. The youth society of this country hopes that Jubo League will stand by everyone in the path of glory-religion-struggle.
Writer: Vice President of Dhaka Journalist Union and Executive Member of Bangladesh Awami Jubo League.
