Desk Report 
BCL leaders and activists from all over the country have gathered at Suhrawardy Udyan for the programme
Hasina arrived at the conference venue at the Suhrawardy Udyan at 11:15 am Tuesday. Afterwards, she hoisted the national flag, while BCL President Al-Nahean Khan Joy and General Secretary Lekhak Bhattacharjee jointly hoisted the party flag with a rendition of the national anthem playing in the background.
Later, Hasina opened the session by releasing a pigeon. The party song of BCL was sung at this time.
Session convener Asim Kumar Vadhya and Chief Election Commissioner Rezaul Karim greeted Hasina with flowers after the inauguration.
BCL leaders and activists from all over the country, including those from BCL central zone, Dhaka metropolitan north and south units, and Dhaka University, have gathered at the Suhrawardy Udyan for the programme.
They gathered around Doel Chattar, Central Shaheed Minar, Shahbagh, Segunbagicha, and Shikkha Chattar areas in colourful clothes in the morning. The Suhrawardy Udyan and adjacent areas came alive with party slogans.
The Suhrawardy Udyan has been decorated for the programme. A vast, colourful stage has been built in the shape of a boat. Several main roads of Dhaka city have been decorated with the national flag as well as the BCL flag.
Numerous banners, festoons and placards bearing the names and pictures of various leaders have been placed in Shahbagh, Matsya Bhavan and Dhaka University areas.
840 VYING FOR TOP POSITIONS
In the run-up to the council, 840 leaders from the central, Dhaka University and Dhaka Metropolitan North and South units of the ruling party’s student wing have applied for leadership positions.
Of these, 255 applications came from central committee members, 245 from members of the Dhaka University cell and 340 from Dhaka Metropolitan North and South.
The applicants are looking for the approval of the organisation’s “guardian” Awami League President Sheikh Hasina.
The Dhaka Metropolitan North and South units held a rally on Dec 2, while the Dhaka University wing had its annual conference on Dec 3.
At the event, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said that the committees for the Dhaka Metropolitan North and South and the Dhaka University units would be announced at the national conference. It has not yet been confirmed whether the central committee will also be announced at the conference.
The last Chhatra League national conference was held in 2018. The conference ended without the election of new leadership for the student activist group.
Later, Hasina formed a committee with Rezwanul Haque Chowdhury Shovon as president and Golam Rabbani as general secretary, after screening their background. General Secretary Obaidul Quader announced the names.
A full 301-member Chhatra League committee was announced on May 31, 2019.
However, it would not last long. Hasina, irked by complaints of corruption against the Chhatra League committee, then abolished it. Both the Chhatra League president and the general secretary were suspended over different complaints including extortion on Sept 14, 2019.
First Vice President Al-Nahean Khan Joy was made acting president and First Joint General Secretary Lekhak Bhattacharjee acting general secretary.
Hasina then declared them president and general secretary of the Chhatra League in 2020, during a Bangladesh Chhatra League founding anniversary event.
