Dhaka: Awami League, the country’s oldest political party which led the nation in the Liberation War in 1971, celebrated its 69th founding anniversary on Saturday with holding various programmes.

Founded on June 23, 1949 at the historic Rose Garden in the old part of Dhaka, the party played the lead role in all the democratic movements apart from leading the nation in the War of Liberation in 1971 under the leadership of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Awami League and its associate bodies chalked out different programmes to celebrate the day.

Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the day’s programme by hoisting the national as well as party flags and releasing pigeons and balloons in front of Bangabandhu Bhaban on Dhanmondi Road no-32 in the capital around 9pm.

She also paid profound homage by placing a floral wreath at the portrait of the Father of the Nation in front of Bangabandhu Bhaban.

After laying the wreath, the Prime Minister stood there in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memory of Bangabandhu, the architect of independence.

Later, Sheikh Hasina, also the President of Bangladesh Awami League, placed another wreath at the Bangabandhu’s portrait as the party chief.

Senior leaders of the party, including Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, Awami League Presidium Member Advocate Sahara Khatun and Road Transport and Bridges Minister and general secretary of the party Obaidul Quader, were present on the occasion.

After the departure of the Prime Minister, different units of Awami League and its associate bodies and different socio-political, cultural and professional organisations placed wreaths at the portrait of the Father of the Nation paying homage to him.

Later, Sheikh Hasina opened the newly-constructed 10-storey central office building of Awami League at 23 Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital.

The building inauguration ceremony started with the hoisting of National Flag and the party flag by the Prime Minister and AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader respectively.

The National Anthem was also played at that time. Later, Sheikh Hasina released pigeons and balloons.

She also planted a Bakul sapling in front of the building.

Hasina, flanked by the party’s central leaders, entered the new office building and visited its different rooms.