The ruling party Awami League celebrated its 73rd founding anniversary Thursday.

Anniversary programmes began in the morning with the hoisting of the national and party flags at the Awami League central office at Bangabandhu Avenue and all party offices across the country.

The Awami League and its affiliate organisations paid homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreaths at his portrait at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at 8am.

A delegation from the Awami League Central Working Committee, along with party presidium member Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Muhammad Faruq Khan, placed wreaths at the mausoleum of Bangabandhu at his birthplace in Gopalganj's Tungipara in the morning.

The Awami League organised a discussion at its central office at Bangabandhu Avenue in the morning. Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina joined the discussion online as the chief guest.

READ: With Awami League in power, no one can stop Bangladesh’ development, Hasina tells JS

Awami League presidium members Begum Matia Chowdhury, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Abdur Rahman, AHM Khairuzzaman Liton, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya; Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif and International Affairs Secretary Dr Shammi Ahmed also spoke.

In 1949, supporters of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy formed the party at Rose Garden in Old Dhaka's KM Das Lane.

The party steered the nation through post-partition quagmires, voiced the demands and aspirations of the people.  Finally, it led the Liberation War of 19171 against West Pakistan to free the people from the centuries-old subordination.