Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Friday said, "we don't need leaders, we need smart workers" to build a smart Bangladesh.
He was speaking at a programme marking the celebration of the 75th anniversary of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student body of AL.
The overcrowded stage in front of the Oporajeyo Bangla monument on the Dhaka University campus from where Quader was speaking collapsed during his speech, according to television footage and eyewitnesses.
Read: BNP to get fitting response if it resorts to violence: Quader
Quader was unhurt in the incident that left several people injured. The injured were taken to hospital, witnesses said. Before the incident, he asked the BCL leaders and workers to prepare themselves to build Sonar Bangla, the dream of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He asked the BCL to quickly form the committees.
"We have declared the names of top two leaders to BCL committees but the full committee yet to be formed. The committees have to be prepared soon as we have to face many challenges ahead of the national election," he said.
Chhatra League leaders and activists from different units of Dhaka University and Dhaka city(north and south), former BCL leaders joined the programme.
Quader attended the programme as the chief guest while BCL president Saddam Hossen presided over it. BCL general secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Inan conducted it.
Read: BNP’s 'tall talks' to console their activists: Info Minister
"We will be the vanguard of Awami League in the upcoming national election in 2024 and we won't allow anti-liberation forces to make chaos in the country. This is our promise and we will arrange 75 victory rallies over the year to celebrate this 75th anniversary," BCL GS Sheikh Wali said.
"BCL is a core organisation. It has a glorious history. We have to come back to our track again'" he said.
To compete in the upcoming days, "we have to fight against terrorism, communalism and their parton BNP," he said.
The programme began with the cultural functions and concluded with a rally which started from the Oporajeyo Bangla monument and marched up to Dhanmondi-32.