Bangladesh Awami League

Name

1. The name of this organization shall be ‘The Bangladesh Awami League.’

Aims and Objectives

2. Preamble

a) To consolidate the independence of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and to uphold its sovereignty as well as territorial integrity;

b) To establish and protect the people’s constitutional rights since all powers in the Republic belong to the people;

c) To ensure political, economic, social and cultural freedom and welfare of all citizens;

d) To build a Secular, democratic society and state-system imbued with the spirit of Liberation War.

Fundamental Principles

The fundamental principles of the Bangladesh Awami Leagues shall be Bengali Nationalism, Democracy, Secularism or in other words ensuring freedom of all religions as well as non-communal politics and Socialism, that is to say-the establishment of an exploitation-free society and social Justice.

Commitment

The Bangladesh Awami League shall adopt appropriate measures to implement its Declaration and Program. The fundamental goals and commitments will be :

1. To uphold the ideal of independence and the spirit as well as values of Liberation War;
2. To recognize human dignity and humanistic values;
3. To secure the unity and solidarity of the people of Bangladesh;
4. To boost up the smooth growth and institutionalization of parliamentary democracy in the right manner and to ensure people’s freedom and security in the exercise of suffrage according to their choice;
5. To develop a mass-oriented, transparent and accountable system of efficient public administration and to ensure good governance;
6. To set up a strong government system in order to ensure people’s participation and empowerment at all administrative levels up to grass roots;
7. To ensure fundamental human rights irrespective of religion, caste, sex, community, ethnic identity and so on and to provide ample scope for higher standards of living;
8. To ensure religious freedom and to eradicate all shades of communalism;
9. To establish the rule of law; to ensure separation of the judiciary from the executive and its independence and to establish a society free from terrorism and corruption;
10. To stop oppression against women; to protect women’s rights as well as dignity and to empower them by ensuring female participation in all spheres of the state and social life;
11. To protect children’s rights; to ensure opportunity for hastening their physical and mental development and to assure development of the young generation;
12. To ensure freedom of the press and mass-media and free flow of information;
13. To solve problems of all the basic necessities of life including food, clothing, shelter, education and medical care for all people, and to ensure their right to work and to improve the standards of living;
14. To make an end to economic backwardness; to eradicate poverty; to provide more employment; to meet the challenge of globalization; to overcome one-sided foreign dependency and to encourage productive investment in the private sector, thereby building the foundation of a strong industrially developed national economy;
15. To secure the overall rural development; to reform the land and agricultural system on a massive scale; to combat against the negative impact of globalization on agriculture; to introduce sustainable technology in agriculture; to modernize agriculture and to make co-operatives multifaceted and effective;
16. To ensure people’s food security by maintaining self-sufficiency in food and guaranteeing profitable prices for agricultural produce;
17. To protect national interest by the reasonable use of natural resources; to build up a long-term energy security network and to stimulate the infrastructural development in electrification, transport and information technology;
18. To prioritize human resource development, expansion as well as standardization of education; to implement an education policy consistent with the society’s requirements and to introduce and implement a cheap and progressive education policy and to encourage expansion of science and technology;
19. To ensure the expansion of Bengali heritage, civilization, language, arts, literature and culture; to prevent averse-to-life, vulgar, obscene entertainment and distorted culture and to preserve and promote the life style, language and culture of the aborigines, tribes and ethnic groups of the country;
20. To provide assistance of all kinds to weak, backward, exploited and neglected poor people and the labor force to help them out of the inhumane state of existence and to establish the social-security system for all including the disabled, helpless widows, aged, poor and poverty-stricken freedom fighters;\
21. To ensure availability, conservation and proper management of water resources and to encourage protection of the environment, creation of forest and social afforestation, conservation of bio-diversity and mitigation of the green house effect
22. To prevent unplanned urbanization; to increase citizen’s facilities in towns and cities and to remove the disparity between the urban and rural areas; to build up planned rural human habitation with modern amenities and facilities;
23. To build up modern and strong defense system in order to protect the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh and to contribute to global peace keeping;
24. To base the foreign policy of the country on the motto, ‘Friendship with all and malice towards none’; to assist and co-operate in all steps for establishing universal brotherhood and world peace and to support the rightful Liberation struggle of oppressed people or nations against terrorism, racial discrimination, colonization, imperialism and communalism every where in the world. The Bangladesh Awami League shall constantly remain vigilant to follow and implement the aforesaid basic principles, goals and commitments and to create national unity, enthusiasm and new spirit. With unflinching devotion, honesty, discipline and firmness the party, shall commit itself to the establishment of a developed and prosperous ‘Sonar Bangla’ envisaged by the Father of the Nation, Bongabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

 

Flag

3. The flag of the Bangladesh Awami League shall be green in color in two-thirds on the right and red in one-third on the left. The upper corner in the right side of the green portion shall be studded with four red stars, equidistant from each other. The ratio of its size -when measured in terms of green and red-shall be 5:3.

The Procedure of Formation

4. The organizational strata of the Bangladesh Awami League shall be of the categories hereinafter following, namely:

a) The Bangladesh Awami League Council;

b) The Bangladesh Awami League National Committee;

c) The Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee:

I) President, II) Presidium, III) General Secretary, IV) Secretaries;
V) Treasurer, and VI) 26 Members;

d) The Bangladesh Awami League Advisory Council;

e) The Bangladesh Awami League Parliamentary Board;

f) The Bangladesh Awami League Parliamentary Party;

g) The District Awami Leagues, Metropolitan City Awami Leagues including Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Barisal and Sylhet, and Awami League Branches approved by the Bangladesh Awami League.

Membership

5. i.) With absolute faith in the aims and objectives of the Bangladesh Awami League, as laid down in section 2 of this Constitution, every citizen, aged 18 or above the age limit, male or female putting his/her signature to the given declaration in the specified form and paying the triennial subscription amounting to Tk. 5.00 (Taka Five) shall be entitled to become members of the Bangladesh Awami League; if

a) he does not appear to be involved in any activities against the independence, sovereignty, state security, territorial integrity, national solidarity as well as state ideals, violent activities and public security of Bangladesh;

b) he is not a person who has surrendered his citizenship or whose citizenship has been nullified;

c) he is not a member of any other political party;

d) he does not believe in any discriminatory practice of religion, profession, caste and colour;

e) he is not a member of any organization, acting against the policies and principles of the Bangladesh Awami League;

f) he shall be obliged to take part in minimum training course of any type, and to carry out any order directed by the Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee; and

g) shall pay the triennial subscription on a regular basis;

ii.) There shall be two types of membership in the organization, namely: a) Primary (Temporary Membership) and b) Full Membership. The candidate seeking to obtain membership of the party shall apply to the Primary or Branch Committee and pay Tk.5.00 (Taka Five), as triennial subscription along with the application. If membership of the candidate is approved at a general meeting of the Primary or Branch Committee he shall be deemed to be a Primary Member for one year beginning from the date of approval. Following the expiry of the duration of Primary Membership, the committee concerned shall be able to make recommendations to the District Awami League Executive Committee for conferring Full Membership upon the Primary Member. The District Awami League Executive Committee shall have the right to grant Full Membership a Primary Member. If there is no complaint against the member concerned, he or she shall gain Full Membership automatically after the expiration of the period of Primary Membership. Nobody shall be able to get elected to the Executive post at any level of the organization if he is not a full member.

III.) The Duration of Membership

Membership shall be effective from the first day of Baishakh of (the first day of Bangla year) up to the last day of Chaitra of the 3rd year. After the expiry of the duration of membership, as mentioned in this sub-section, a member shall have the right to renew it by putting his signature to the specified form and paying the subscription at a fixed rate according to the section 5 (1).

The Bangladesh Awami League Council

6. The Bangladesh Awami League Council shall be formed according to the rules hereinafter following, namely:

a) The Bangladesh Awami League Council shall consist of a fixed number of councilors, elected by the District Awami Leagues and different Metropolitan City Awami Leagues at an interval of three years. The District Awami Leagues and Metropolitan City Awami Leagues of Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Barisal and Sylhet, within a specified period of triennial election meeting, of Bangladesh Awami League summoned in order to elect office bearers, in their own triennial council meeting, after electing their own office bearers and a specified number of members for the Bangladesh Awami League Council from their respective districts must send the list of their names along with full addresses to the office of the Bangladesh Awami League.

b) Every City Awami League and every 25 thousand people belonging to every district shall each elect a single councilor. In case of fraction a single councilor shall be elected for peoples more than 12 thousand.

c) If any District or Metropolitan City Awami League for any reason fails to hold election within the fixed dates, fixed by the Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee and to nominate a specified number of councilor for the Bangladesh Awami League Council and their own Executive Officers according to the Constitution of the organization and Rules thereof, the Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee shall have the right to nominate the aforementioned specified number of councilors for the District or Metropolitan City Awami League for representing in the Bangladesh Awami League Council.

d) The Members and office bearers of the Executive committee of the Bangladesh Awami League shall, by virtue of their office, shall become the councilors of the Bangladesh Awami League.

e) After they call of triennial council, annual council or special council, a specified number of representatives of Associate Organization shall be nominated as the councilor of the Bangladesh Awami League.

f) The aforementioned elected or nominated councilor, during the first session of triennial election meeting, summoned in order to elect Executive Officers of the Bangladesh Awami League, shall co-opt one hundred Primary Members- incorporated into any branch of the Bangladesh Awami League- into the Bangladesh Awami League Council as its members.

7. The nominated councilors, as mentioned in section 6 (c), shall enjoy equal right like the elected councilors. But within the next three months after nomination, the Bangladesh Awami League shall be obliged to arrange elections of such District or Metropolitan City Awami Leagues. When such District or Metropolitan City Awami Leagues elect their own office bearers and a specified number of councilors for the Bangladesh Awami League, the elected councilors, after the approval of such District or Metropolitan City Awami Leagues by the Bangladesh Awami League, shall automatically succeed the nominated councilors. In the interim period beginning from nomination until the holding of new election, the Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee shall have the right to order the former committees of such District and Metropolitan City Awami Leagues or the constituted ad hoc committees to continue day-to-day activities.

8. No objection claiming that the Awami League Council has been unlawfully formed by reason of faults and failures in nomination, co-option or faults the election of any Branch Awami League, can be made and any program or decision, taken by the council, shall not be deemed to be revoked, cancelled, be unlawful or unconstitutional for that reason.

9. The elected, co-opted or nominated councilors of the Bangladesh Awami League, before joining the meeting, shall each pay the triennial subscription amounting to Tk.20.00 (Taka Twenty) to the concerned authority of the Bangladesh Awami League concerned.

10. If any councilor of the Bangladesh Awami League within 4 months of his election does not pay the triennial subscription amounting to Tk.20.00 (Taka Twenty), the Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee shall have the right to cancel his councilorship and to nominate a new person in the place. But prior to cancellation, the Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee shall have to send a notice to that member by a registered post with an order to pay due subscription within 7 days.

 

The Council Meeting of Bangladesh Awami League

11. With the order or approval of the President, the General Secretary, at any time, shall be able to summon the meeting of the Bangladesh Awami League Council. A Special council meeting of the Bangladesh Awami League, beside the triennial election convention, shall have to be held at least once a year. Moreover, the General Secretary himself or on the orders of the President, shall be obliged to hold a meeting of council within 30 days of the submission of a requisition letter, containing the signatures of minimum 20% or one-fifth of councilors and the issues to be discussed, to the General Secretary or the President. One-third of members present in the council meeting shall form a quorum. But there shall be no necessity of any quorum for the adjourned meeting.

12. a) In the aforementioned council meeting, the President or in his absence, a Presidium Member or in their absence, any of the members after being elected shall act as the chairperson.

b) If the President or General Secretary does not summon the meeting. within 15 days upon receipt of the requisition letter, after 30 days the requisitionists shall have the right to summon the meeting by giving 21 days’ notice.

13. Special or annual or triennial election session of the Bangladesh Awami League Council shall be held at a venue, date and time fixed by the Executive Committee.

14. In special or annual or triennial council session, all District and Metropolitan City Awami Leagues, at the invitation of the Bangladesh Awami League, shall be entitled to send a number of delegates equal to that of councilors elected from their respective districts and metropolitan cities.

15. Fifteen days’ notice will be required for the triennial election meeting, annual meeting or special meeting and seven days’ notice for an emergency meeting. The issues to be discussed shall be mentioned in the notice. The notice of the session has to be published in newspaper also.

Functions & Powers of the Bangladesh Awami League Council

16. The Bangladesh Awami League Council shall perform functions and exercise powers hereinafter following, namely:

a) The adoption of proposals to enact, change, improve or amend the constitution, Manifesto of the Bangladesh Awami League;

b) The adoption of any policy or strategy and motion to achieve the objectives of the Bangladesh Awami League;

c) The election of executives, as mentioned in section 20 of the constitution;

d) The formation of a parliamentary board of the Bangladesh Awami League;

e) The Bangladesh Awami League Council shall have power to confer any power, in consistent with the Constitution and Declaration, upon the Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee, conditionally or unconditionally.

The National Committee of Bangladesh Awami League

17. a) There shall be a National Committee of the Bangladesh Awami League. One member from each organizational district of the Bangladesh Awami League, shall be elected by the respective Triennial District Councils, in the National Committee. The Bangladesh Awami League National Committee shall comprise of Office bearers of the Bangladesh Awami League, members of the Executive Committee and 21 members nominated by the President of the Bangladesh Awami League and members elected and nominated in the aforesaid manner. The total number of members of the National Committee shall be 73+ 66+6+21=166. The National Committee shall perform the following functions :

b) The National Committee shall maintain co-ordination between the Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee and the Council;

c) The National Committee shall help the Bangladesh Awami League Council to take decisions on urgent and important national and international issues;

d) The National Committee shall have the right to review the decisions and functions of the Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee. Bangladesh Awami League shall implement the proposals adopted at the triennial election or special session of the Bangladesh Awami League;

e) The National Committee shall receive and approve accounts of the Bangladesh Awami League;

f) The National Committee shall consider an appeal against punitive measures against any member taken by the Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee and take the final decision;

g) Shall frame rules to conduct the Parliamentary party;

h) The President of the Bangladesh Awami League and other Office bearers, ex-officio, shall conduct programs as the Executive Officers of the National Committee;

i) The National Committee must hold it’s meeting in every six months.

The Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee

18. The Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee shall comprise a total of 73 members including the President, Presidium Members, General Secretaries, Secretions of the Executive Committee and Treasurer of the Bangladesh Awami League, and 26 members, nominated by the President in consultation with the Presidium Members.

19. The President of the Bangladesh Awami League shall nominate 26 members, as mentioned in section 18 of the Constitution, in consultation with the Presidium Members and such nomination shall be declared within 21 days of the conclusion the council session.

The Office Bearers of the Bangladesh Awami League

20. I) The Members of the Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee shall be called office bearers of the Bangladesh Awami League.

II) The Bangladesh Awami League shall have the following office bearers:

The Presidium shall comprise of a total 15 members including the President, the General Secretary and 13 Presidium Members.

* Secretaries:

a) General Secretary
b) 3 Joint-General Secretaries
c) 7 Divisional Organizing Secretaries, (Organizing Secretary)
(According to alphabetical order of the names of the post in Bengali)
d) Secretary, Department of Finance & Planning (Planning Secretary)
e) Secretary, Department of International Affairs (Secretary of International Affairs)
f) Secretary, Department of legal affairs (Law affairs Secretary)
g) Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Co-Operative (Agriculture Secretary)
h) Secretary, Department of Information & Research (Secretary of Information &Research)
i) Secretary, Department of Relief & Social-Welfare (Secretary of Relief & Social-Welfare)
j) Secretary, Department of Official Works (Office Secretary)
k) Secretary, Department of Religious Affairs (Secretary of Religious Affairs)
l) Secretary, Department of Publicity & Publication (Publicity Secretary)
m) Secretary, Department of Forestry & Environment (Secretary of Forestry & Environment)
n) Secretary, Department of Science & Technology (Secretary of Science & Technology)
o) Secretary, Department of Women Affairs (Secretary of Women Affairs)
p) Secretary, Liberation War Affairs (Secretary of Liberation war Affairs)
q) Secretary, Department of Youth & Sports (Secretary of Youth & Sports)
r) Secretary, Department of Education & Human Resources (Education Secretary)
s) Secretary, Department of Industry & Commerce (Secretary of Industry & Commerce)
t) Secretary, Department of Labor & Manpower (Labor Secretary)
u) Secretary, Department of Cultural Affairs (Cultural Secretary)
v) Secretary, Department of Health & Population (Secretary of Health and Population)
w) Deputy Secretary, Department of Official Works (Deputy Office Secretary)
x) Deputy Secretary, Department of Publicity & Publication (Deputy Publicity Secretary)

(Total number of Secretaries-32)
*Treasurer-1 *Member-26

21. The President, Presidium Members, General Secretary, Departmental Secretaries and Treasurer shall be elected in their respective posts by the triennial council from among the councilors. Their tenure of office shall be three years. They will, however, continue to hold office until the next election is held.

Meeting of the Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee

22. The General Secretary, in consultation with the President, shall summon the meeting of the Executive Committee or of Presidium Members belonging to the Bangladesh Awami League. At the order of President, the General Secretary shall be obliged to call the meeting of that Committee. If the General Secretary does not call the meeting at the order of President, the President himself shall have the right to call the meeting. One-third members present in the meeting of the Executive Committee shall form the quorum.

22. a) Generally the General Secretary, in consultation with the President, shall call a meeting of the presidium by serving three days’ notice. He shall be able to call an emergency meeting at any time. The meeting of Presidium Members shall have a quorum if eight members are present therein.

23. Seven days’ notice shall be generally given for the meeting of the Executive Committee but there shall be no necessity for a notice time for an emergency meeting. If necessary, an emergency meeting can be called by publishing a notice in the newspapers.
Functions & Powers of the Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee

24. Bangladesh Awami League Executive committee shall perform the following functions and exercise the following powers :

a) To approve, cancel, make arrangements for re-election or if necessary, form an ad hoc committee in the place of any Branch Awami League by nullifying it and make arrangements for election of that branch within 6 months of formation of the ad hoc committee. Otherwise the ad hoc committee shall be deemed cancelled after 6 months.

b) If any post of Bangladesh Awami League Council, National Committee, Executive Committee or any other Committee or Parliamentary Board or any post of Awami League Executives, becomes vacant, the central Executive Committee must fill up the post by co-option or nomination within 60 days of the vacancy.

c) The President, in consultation with the Presidium Members, shall have the power to give direction, advice and controlling order to the Bangladesh Awami League Parliamentary Party or its members, and if any of those members refuses to comply with it, or if he acts against the Constitution, Declaration and decision, or in other words, against the principles and policies of the Bangladesh Awami League, the President, in consultation with the Presidium Members, shall submit the matter to the Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee to take action.

d) To prepare of accounts of income and expenditure in order to lay it before the Bangladesh Awami League National Committee.

e) To approve of any expenditure amounting to less than Tk.10,000.00(Taka Ten Thousand).

f) To approve of the appointment or dismissal of staff of by the General Secretary of the Bangladesh Awami League.

g) If any member of the Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee is absent in three consecutive meetings without any reason or without any satisfactory reason his name will be excluded from the list of the Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee and the vacant post will be filled in according to rules. But prior to dismissal of any member, the Executive Committee shall send a notice to him by registered post to show satisfactory cause for his absence within 15 days of receipt of the notice.

h) To summon as per section 13 the election meeting of the Awami League Council or annual or special meeting and fix up the venue, date and the agenda for discussion.

i) To fix up the dates for recruitment of the Primary Members and elections of various branches of the Bangladesh Awami League, and following section (b) make an estimate of how many members, from which district or metropolitan city, shall be elected for the Bangladesh Awami League Council on the basis of population according to Bangladesh populations census and to issue an appropriate notice prior to elections of the District, Municipal and Metropolitan City Awami Leagues.

j) To fix up if necessary, the functions of different Departmental Secretaries of the Bangladesh Awami League.

k) To consider an appeal against punitive measures taken against any member of the Bangladesh Awami League by any of the lower Units of the Awami League, and to take the final decision.

 

The Bangladesh Awami League Parliamentary Board

27. a) A Parliamentary Board shall be formed to nominate candidates on behalf of the party in all national level elections including the Bangladesh National Parliament.

b) The Parliamentary Board shall comprise of 11 members. The President and General Secretary of the Bangladesh Awami League and leader of the Awami League Parliamentary Party in the Bangladesh National Parliament, these three, shall be, ex-officio members of the board. The remaining 8 members shall be elected by the Awami League council from among its members. The tenure of Board shall be fixed by the council. If one of three ex-officio members, holds more than one office, one post of the Board shall be deemed to be vacant. The council shall elect an additional member in the vacant post. If the post of any other member of the Board falls vacant later, the Central Executive Committee, subject to the approval of the next council, shall have the right to nominate a new member.

c) The President and General Secretary of the Bangladesh Awami League, ex-officio, shall be the President and General Secretary of the Parliamentary Board respectively.

d) The Parliamentary Board shall discharge all functions in connection with the election. The Board shall be able to take any measure to prepare electoral progammes and to conduct election. Those who will seek nomination from the Bangladesh Awami League for election shall alsosend a copy of the applications, as submitted to the Board, to the Awami League Executive Committee through the General Secretary of District Awami League, upon receipt of a written receipt, or by postal registration.

e) The District, Upazilla or Thana Awami League Executive Committee shall send their recommendations or opinions along with a detailed description of the qualities and popularity of the candidates to the Bangladesh Awami League Parliamentary Board which shall play a important role in the decision-making process. But the decision of the Bangladesh Awami League Parliamentary Board shall be final.
The Bangladesh Awami League Parliamentary Party

28.

a) The Members of the Bangladesh Awami League who will be elected members of the Bangladesh National Parliament shall be obliged to form the Awami League Parliamentary Party in the National Parliament and to elect its own office bearers. Each of the members the Parliamentary Party shall be obliged to comply with the decision of the Bangladesh Awami League. The decision of the majority of members of the Parliamentary Party shall be regarded as final decision of the party but this Parliamentary Party shall not take any decision inconsistent with the fundamental principles of the Constitution of the Bangladesh Awami League or any section thereof.

b) There shall be a Leader and a Deputy-leader of the Bangladesh Awami League Parliamentary Party and, if necessary, the Parliamentary Party shall have the right to create other posts and fill those posts.

c) The members of the Bangladesh Awami League Parliamentary Party, shall be obliged to perform their functions according to the advice and direction of the Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee. Otherwise section 24 (c) shall be applicable against them.

d) The Awami League parliamentary party, after electing office bearers under sub-section (b) shall meet at a meeting and fix their respective duties themselves. But if they are unable to do so, the Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee shall fix the duties finally.

e) Each of the members of the Bangladesh Awami League Parliamentary Party must pay Tk.100.00 (Taka one hundred) into the fund of the Parliamentary Party and Tk.100.00 (Taka one hundred) into the Awami League fund. i.e. Tk. 200.00 (Taka two hundred) in total as monthly subscription.

Inter relation among different branches of the Bangladesh Awami League, their status and structure

29.

a) There shall be formed a district Committee Status Metropolitan City Awami League in each city of Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Barisal and Sylhet and a District Awami League in each district under the Bangladesh Awami League.

b) There shall be formed an Upazilla/Thana Awami League in each Upazilla/Thana under each District Awami League.

c) There shall be formed a Thana Awami League in each of the Thanas under the Metropolitan City Awami League.

d) There shall be formed a Ward Awami League in each of the wards of the metropolitan city. In this case, the Ward Awami League shall be of the status and rank of Union Awami League.

e) There shall be formed more than one Unit Awami League in each ward of the metropolitan city and, in this case, the Unit Awami League shall possess the status of the Ward Awami League under the Union Council. Where applicable there shall be formed a Moholla Awami League.

f) There shall be formed a Union Awami League in each Union under each Thana Awami League and a Ward Awami League in each ward of the municipal areas. In municipal area, a Moholla Committee shall be formed where applicable.

g) There shall be formed a Ward Awami League in each ward under the Union Awami League. Where applicable there shall be formed, a Village Committee.

h) The Primary Members shall be recruited from each village before the formation of the Ward Awami League. There shall be at least 150 Primary Members in each word committee.

i) There shall be formed Thana Awami League unit comprising all the unions lying under police stations in different districts.

j) The Awami Leagues belonging to ‘A’ class Municipality and lying in the district headquarters, shall have the status of Thana Awami League and other Municipal Awami Leagues shall have the status of Union Awami League. The Municipal Awami Leagues, where applicable, shall elect their office bearer like the Thana/Union Awami Leagues and in other cases also follow rules of the Thana/Union Awami League:

29. 1) The Organizational Structure of different Branches of the Awami Leagues

a) The District Awami League shall consist of a total of 71 members including 37 office bearers and 34 members

b) The Metropolitan City Awami League shall consist of a total of 71 members including 37 office bearers and 34 members.

c) The Upazilla/Thana Awami League shall consist of a total of 67 members including 34 office bearer and 33 members.

d) The Municipal Awami League (lying in the district headquarter and belonging to the Municipality of ‘a’ category) shall consist of a total of 67 members including 34 office bearers and 33 members. The other Municipal Awami League shall consist of a total of 65 members including 30 office bearers and 35 members.

e) The Union Awami League shall consist of a total of 65 members including 30 office bearers and 35 members.

f) The Ward Awami League shall consist of a total of 51 members including 24 office bearers and 27 members. The Ward Awami League of the metropolitan city shall consist of a total of 65 members including 30 office bearers and 35 members.

g) The Unit Awami League (metropolitan city) shall consist of a total of 37 members including 20 office bearers and 17 members.

h) The Village/Moholla Awami League shall consist of a total of 31 members including 20 office bearers and 11 members.

The District Awami League Council

30. In each District Unit, there shall be formed a District Awami League Council, consisting of the elected members in the following manner:

a) On the basis of the total population of Upazilla/Thana, one councilor for every 10 thousand people shall be elected by the Upazilla/Thana Awami League Council for the District Council.

b) 5 members shall be co-opted from each Upazilla/Thana by each District Council during the first session of its triennial election meeting.

30. 1) During the triennial council meeting, the District Awami League shall elect the Executive Committee of the District Awami League, Besides it shall also elect fixed number of councilors for the central Awami League.

30. 2 ) The list of Central Councilors shall be presented and approved in the District Council meeting; otherwise no list of the councilors of that district shall be approved.

30. 3) According to section 26 (c), 21 members for the Advisory Council shall be elected.

31. a) One-third of all members of the District Awami League Council present in the council meeting shall form a quorum.

b) Every councilor shall pay a subscription at the rate of Tk.20.00 (Taka twenty) for every three years.

c) The District Awami League Executive Committee shall exercise powers, under sections 9 and 10 of the Constitution, to collect the aforesaid subscription from the District Awami League Councilors.

 

The District Awami League Executive Committee

32. Each District Awami League Executive Committee shall consist of a total of 71 members including the following office bearers and Members:

 

33. The rules of the Bangladesh Awami League shall be applicable where the issues relating to Districts are not mentioned in the Constitution of the Bangladesh Awami League. If the Upazilla/Thana, Municipal, Union, Ward, Village Awami League under the District Awami League, and the Thana, Ward and Unit Awami League under the Metropolitan City Awami League are unable to form a committee, the District/Metropolitan City Awami League shall exercise powers under sections 6 (c) and 7 of the Constitution.

Committees under Metropolitan City Awami League

Unit Awami League

34. There shall be formed more than one Unit Awami League under the Metropolitan City Ward Awami League. Minimum 150 Primary Members shall be recruited for each unit and each Primary Member shall be deemed to be a councilor of that unit.
The Unit Awami League shall consist of a total of 37 members including the following Office bearer and Member :

 

Metropolitan City Ward Awami League

34. a) There shall be formed a Ward Awami League in each ward of the metropolitan city. The Metropolitan City Ward Awami League shall have the status of Union Awami League.

b) If any ward is divided into more than one section and situated in more than one thana, that ward, on the basis of population, shall be deemed to be included in the thana to which the majority of its population belong.

c) The Metropolitan City Ward Awami League Committee

 

Thana Awami League (Including All City police stations) Council

d) There shall be formed a Thana Awami League in each thana under the Metropolitan City Awami League.

e) The triennial council meeting, with 21 councilors elected from each union, and 15 co-opted councilors, shall be held according to sub-sections 37( a) and (b ) of the Constitution of the Thana Awami League, and shall have the office bearers and Members like Thana Awami League under the Metropolitan City Awami League and the Upazila/ Thana Awami League under the District Awami League.

Thana Awami League including all city police stations) Committee

 

35. Metropolitan City Awami League Council

a) On the basis of the total population of thanas under the metropolitan cities namely, Dhaka and Chittagong , a City Councilor for every 20 thousand people shall be elected in Thana Awami League Council.

b) 10 councilors from each ward of the thanas belonging to the metropolitan cities, namely Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet, shall be elected as City Councilors during Thana Council Meeting.

c) Each Metropolitan City Awami League, during its first council meeting, shall co-opt 5 councilors from each thana.

d) Each of the aforesaid councilors shall pay the triennial subscription at a rate of Tk.20.00 (Taka Twenty).

36. Metropolitan City Awami League Executive Committee

Each Metropolitan City Awami League shall elect the following office bearers and Members during its council meeting.

 

36. 1) It is mentioned that, under all Metropolitan Cities, Presidents of Unit Awami League, Ward Awami League and Thana Awami League shall, ex-officio be deemed to be the Members of Ward Awami League Committee, Thana Awami League Committee and Metropolitan City Awami League Committee respectively .

36. 2) The concerned section of the Associate Organization shall direct its activities in co-ordination with the committees of different strata of the Metropolitan City Awami League and work in collaboration with each other.

Upazilla/Thana Awami League Council

37. An Upazilla/Thana Awami League shall be formed in each Upazilla/Thana. The Upazilla/Thana Awami League Council shall be formed in the following manner:

a) 21 members shall be elected from each Union Awami League.

b)The Upazilla/Thana Awami League Council, shall be formed by the Upazilla/Thana Awami League Council by including 15 co-opted members during the first session of its triennial election meeting.

c) Each of the aforementioned councilors shall pay the triennial subscription at a rate of Tk.10.00 (Taka Ten)

38. Upazilla/Thana Awami League Executive Committee

The Upazilla/Thana Awami League Council shall elect the following office bearers and members, and the rules adopted by the District Awami League shall be applicable to it in all other matters.

 

39. Union Awami League

a) The Union Awami League shall consist of Ward Awami Leagues belonging to each union of the thanas under each District Awami League.

b) The Union Awami League shall consist of 15 councilors from the Ward Awami League and 15 co-opted counselors.

c) Each of the aforementioned councilors shall pay the triennial subscription at a rate of Tk.10.00 (Taka Ten).

d) The Union Awami League shall consist of a total of 65 members including 30 office bearers and 35 Members.
Union Awami League Committee

 

Ward Awami League(at Union level)

40. There shall be formed a Ward Awami League in each ward of each union. Each Ward Awami League shall recruit minimum 150 primary members. The Ward Awami League shall be deemed to be the primary unit. But where applicable, the Village Awami League shall be formed.

40. a) The Ward Awami League shall consist of a total of 51 members including 24 office bearers and 27 Members.
Its structure is as follows:

 

 

Municipal Awami League

41. The Municipal Awami League shall be formed with the following members in each municipal area:
a) 15 councilors elected from each Ward Awami League.
b) 15 councilors co-opted during the first session of the triennial council meeting of the Municipal Awami League.
c) The Municipal Awami League shall elect the office bearers and Members as laid down in section 29 (e) and in other matters rules of Union Awami League and rules of upazilla / Thana Awami League shall be applicable as the case may be. It will be constituted in the following way :
Municipal Awami League Committee
1) President
2) 5 Vice-Presidents
3) General Secretary
4) 2 Joint-General Secretaries
5) 2 Organizing Secretaries
(According to alphabetical order of the names of the posts in Bengali)
6) Secretary, Legal Affairs
7) Secretary, Agriculture
8) Secretary, Information &Research
9) Secretary, Relief & Social-Welfare
10) Office Secretary
11) Secretary, Religious Affairs
12) Secretary, Publicity
13) Secretary, Forestry & Environmental Affairs
14) Secretary, Science & Technology
15) Secretary, Women Affairs
16) Secretary, Liberation War Affairs
17) Secretary, Youth & Sports
18) Secretary, Education
19) Secretary, Labor Affairs
20) Secretary, Cultural Affairs
21) Secretary, Health & Population
22) Assistant Office Secretary
23) Assistant Secretary, Publicity & Publication
* Treasurer-1
(Office bearers =30) and (Member=35)= Total 65
d) It is mentioned that the committee, if formed in the areas belonging to the ‘A’ class municipality and the district headquarters- shall consist of a total of 65 members including 34 Office bearers (including 7 Vice-Presidents, 3 Joint-General Secretaries and 3 Organizing Secretaries) and 31 members.
e) Each ward of the Municipal Awami League shall be deemed to be the primary unit. Each ward shall recruit minimum 150 primary members. The primary members shall be considered to be the councilors of that ward.
Municipal Ward Awami League Committee
1) President
2) 5 Vice-Presidents
3) General Secretary
4) 2 Joint-General Secretaries
5) 2 Organizing Secretaries
(According to alphabetical order of the names of the posts in Bengali)
6) Secretary, Legal Affairs
7) Secretary, Agriculture
8) Secretary, Information &Research
9) Secretary, Relief & Social-Welfare
10) Office Secretary
11) Secretary, Religious Affairs
12) Secretary, Publicity
13) Secretary, Forestry & Environmental Affairs
14) Secretary, Science & Technology
15) Secretary, Women Affairs
16) Secretary, Liberation War Affairs
17) Secretary, Youth & Sports
18) Secretary, Education
19) Secretary, Labor
20) Secretary, Cultural
21) Secretary, Health & Population
22) Assistant Office Secretary
23) Assistant Secretary, Publicity & Publication
* Treasurer-1
(Office bearers =30) and (Member=21)= Total 51
Village/Maholla Awami League
42. There shall be formed a Village/Moholla Awami League Committee in each village or moholla. The Village/Maholla Awami League shall consist of the following office bearers and Members:
1) President
2) 3 Vice-Presidents
3) General Secretary
4) 2 Joint-General Secretaries
5) Organizing Secretary
(According to alphabetical order of the names of the posts in Bengali)
6) Secretary, Agricultural Affairs
7) Secretary, Relief & Social-Welfare
8) Office Secretary
9) Secretary, Religious Affairs
10) Secretary, Publicity
11) Secretary, Forestry & Environmental Affairs
12) Secretary, Women Affairs
13) Secretary, Liberation War Affairs
14) Secretary, Youth & Sports
15) Secretary, Education
16) Secretary, Cultural Affairs
17) Secretary, Health & Population
(Office bearers =20) and (Member=11)= Total 31

 

Miscellaneous Provisions

51. The District, Metropolitan City, Ward, Upazilla/Thana, Municipal and Union Awami League shall summon a special council meeting at least once a year. Besides, the General Secretary, within thirty days of submission of a written requisition letter to him by one-third of members, shall be obliged to summon the meeting. Otherwise the requisitionists shall be able to take measures according to section 12

(b).

Extended Meeting

52. The District, Metropolitan City, Ward, Upazilla/Thana, Union Awami League shall call Extended Meeting in their units at least three times a year at an interval of four months. The President and two General Secretaries of the lower Units, and the President and General Secretaries of the associate organization of the level concerned, shall be invited to the Extended Meeting. The written report of the Extended Meeting shall be submitted to the higher Unit or the leader in-charge thereof.

53. The District, Metropolitan City, Thana, Municipal, Union, Ward and Village Awami League shall call a meeting of the Executive Committee at least once a month. Besides within ten days of the receipt of requisition letters, with signatures of one-third of members, the General Secretary shall be obliged to call the meeting of the Executive Committee. Otherwise requisitionists shall be entitled to adopt the measure as mentioned in section 54.

54. On receipt of a requisition letter of 21 members for calling a meeting of the Bangladesh Awami League Executive Council, a copy of the letter shall be sent to the President of the organization besides sending a copy to the General Secretary. If the President or General Secretary does not call the meeting within ten days of the receipt of requisition letters, members who submitted the requisition letter, themselves shall have the right to call a meeting by giving 7 days’ notice.

55. A member of the Bangladesh Awami League, shall not be a member of any other political organization and without the prior permission of the Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee, shall not have any political relation with any other political organization.

56. a) If any former or present member of any other political party wants to be included in the category of Primary Members of the Bangladesh Awami League, he shall send an application to the General Secretary of the District Awami League of his own district, asking for the permission to that effect. Without the prior consent of the District Awami League Executive Committee nobody shall be included in the primary membership of the Bangladesh Awami League.

b) If the aforementioned person is not satisfied with the decision of the District Awami League Executive Committee, he shall have the right to make an appeal to the Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee against such a decision and the decision of the Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee shall be considered to be final in this regard. The Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee, if it desires, shall have the right to directly permit any person to be included as the Primary Member.

c) In each case, the new members shall not be allowed to hold office of any of the Awami League Executive Offices within a year. But the President, if necessary, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee, shall have the right to give permission to accept the distinguished persons in the Executive Offices in the organizational interest by making an exception of this section.

57. a) Any office bearers of the Bangladesh Awami League or any member of the Executive Committee or of the Awami League Parliamentary Party shall have the right to participate in any meeting of the lower units and take part in the discussion and give advice. But they shall not have the voting right.

b) Any member of each District, Metropolitan City, and Upazila /Thana, Municipal Awami League or any member of the Executive Committee shall have the right to participate in any meeting of the lower units and take part in the discussion and to give advice. But they shall not have the voting right.

58. The power of reconciling any problems arising in relation to matters, not mentioned in the Constitution, shall be vested in the Bangladesh Awami League National Committee or Executive Committee.
59. a) Subject to the approval of the triennial election, annual or special convention of the Bangladesh Awami League Council, any section of this Constitution or any part thereof, except section 59( a),can be altered, modified or amended with the approval of two-thirds of members of the Executive Committee. It shall be deemed to be emergency provision and shall have to be approved by the next Central Council meeting.

b) If the Council Meeting is summoned in order to alter, modify or amend the Constitution, it shall be done by the votes of the majority of members present.

c) If the triennial, annual or special meeting is to be regarded as council meeting of as mentioned in sub-section (b) Above, this should be so included in the agenda of the notice inviting council meeting.

60. a) The tenure of office for the convening or ad hoc committee shall not be more than six months at any level of the organization.

b) The District and upazila Awami League, if necessary, subject to the consent of the higher committee shall have the right to form the Regional Awami League and to elect office bearers and members like the Union or Ward Committee.

c) The Party Ministers and Members of Parliament shall give importance to the party opinion and advice in the discharge of their responsibilities.

d) The Party Ministers and Members of parliament, at an interval of three months, shall exchange opinion with the District and Upazilla / Thana Awami Leagues concerned.

e) The Associate Organization, at the district and Upazilla/ Thana level, shall act in co-ordination with their respective Awami League committees at their level and help and co-operate with each other.

61. No Awami League Member shall be an office bearers at more than one level. If he wants to take part in the election at more than one level, he shall resign from the former office and contest for the office at the next level; otherwise not.

62. a) The Bangladesh Awami League Executive Committee shall have the right to make rules, if required, in the interest of maintaining co-ordination between the programs of Associate Organizations and the mainstream politics of the party and shall supervise activities of Associate Organization accordingly.

b) The various steering committees, each comprising one or more than one member, formed by the Central Executive Committee, shall, subject to the advice and direction of the President, work in order to enable the Associate Organizations conduct its activities smoothly.

 

The Immigrant Organization

63. The structure and functions of the Immigrant Organizational Branch of the Bangladesh Awami League will be as follows:

a) Keeping faith in the principles, ideals, objectives of the Bangladesh Awami League or in other words its Constitution and Manifesto, the Citizen of Bangladesh living in different countries temporarily or permanently shall have the right to form the Branch of Awami League. The Central Executive council of the Bangladesh Awami League shall approve all Immigrant Branches. Under existing state structure of each country, there shall be formed an Immigrant Awami League Branches with the status of District Awami League. The Immigrant Branch, if necessary, shall have the right to form the lower Branches like the Thana, Union or Unit Awami League.

b) The Immigrant Branches shall elect the office bearers and members, like the District, Thana, Union or Unit Awami League, as applicable. They shall be able to rearrange the necessary organizational structure in consistent with the organizational structure of the political parties and administrative level of the states concerned. 4 new posts shall be added at all levels of Immigrant Branches :

I) Secretary, Immigrant Welfare
II) Secretary, Public Relations
III) Secretary, Immigration and
VI) Secretary, Human Rights

c) The Immigrant Organization, in keeping with the Rules for the conduct of political activities in the states concerned, shall follow rules of District, Thana, Union and Unit Awami League in applicable areas.

d) At all levels of executive committee Presidents and General Secretaries of all Lower Branch Committees, Ex-officio, shall be the members and shall have the right to attend the meeting of Executive Committee, to express opinion and, if necessary, to exercise the franchise.

 

Temporary Act

The Constitution as modified by the councilors in the triennial council meeting, held on 26th December 2002, shall be deemed to be effective from 27th December 2002. But in the mean time, the branches whose triennial council meeting have been held and whose new Executive Committees have been formed, shall maintain the former structure until the next triennial council session or shall re-constitute committee following the amended constitution calling an extended meeting. In that case, the list of the re-constituted Committee shall be sent immediately to the higher Branch.

 

Appendix – A

Allah is Almighty    Joy Bangla    Joy Bongobondhu
The Bangladesh Awami League
Application for membership
General Secretary
Bangladesh Awami League

Sir,

I, having faith in the aims and objectives of the Bangladesh Awami League, as mentioned in section 2 of the Constitution, having paid the subscription at the fixed rate under section 5 (1), am applying for primary membership/ renewal or revival of membership.
I am undertaking to abide by the Constitution and Rules, Declaration, progammes and all decisions of the party.

My personal information is given below :

Name……………………………………………………………………….
Mother’s Name……………………………………………………………..
Father’s/Husband’s Name………………………………………………….
Profession…………………………………………………………………..
Age…………………………………………………………………………
a) Present Address: Village/Moholla …………………………………..……..
Ward……………………………………………………………………
Union…………………………………..………………………………..
Upazilla/Thana…………………………………………………………..
District………………………………………………………………….
b) Permanent Address: Village/Moholla
Ward……………………………………………………………………
Union…………………………………………………………………….
Upazilla/Thana……………………………………………………..…..
District………………………………………………………………….
Phone No…………………………………………………………………………..
Residence No………………………………………………………………….….
Office……………………………………………………………………………
Political Status………………………………………………………….

Yours faithfully,

(Signature of the Applicant)
Name and organisational identity of the proposer : ……………………
Address of the proposer : ………………………………………………….…
Signature of the Proposer:……………………………………………………
Date : —————————————————————————–
Acceptance or non-acceptance of membership —————————–
Name ——————————— Designation / post : ——————-

Signature

The Bangladesh Awami League
Application for primary / renewal of membership.
Serial No ……………………………..
Date ………………………………..
General Secretary
The Bangladesh Awami League

Sir,

I, having faith in the aims and objectives of the Bangladesh Awami League, as mentioned in section 2 of the Constitution, having paid the subscription at the fixed rate under section 5 (1) am applying for primary membership/renewal of membership.

Yours truly,

Signature……………………………..
Name…………………………………..
Father/Husband…………………………
Mother………………………………….
Address………………………………….

Appendix – B
(Part Two)

Member
Bangladesh Awami League

Sl. No.

Date :
Name…………………………………………
Father/Husband………………………………
Mother………………………………………….
Village…………………………………………….
Post office ………………………………………………..
Upazilla ……………………………………….
District……………………………………………….

You are given Primary Membership of the Bangladesh Awami League / your Membership of the Bangladesh Awami League is renewed.

General Secretary                        General Secretary                     General Secretary
Bangladesh Awami League     District/City Awami League     Union/Ward Awami League

 

For more details please visit:: www.albd.org