The Awami League’s (AL) membership collection drive has received overwhelming response at the grassroots level, as people seem to believe that the party will remain in power for two or three more terms, party insiders said. The party is also targeting young and female voters for the next national election, they said.
District AL leaders say that as per the directive of the party leadership, they have already started enrolling fresh members and the campaign would be stepped up after the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.
The party president, Sheikh Hasina, kicked off the party membership drive at a meeting at her official residence on May 20 by renewing her membership by paying the subscription fee of Tk. 500. Speaking at the programme, Hasina called upon leaders and activists to make the party a stronger organisation by accelerating the membership campaign. Party insiders say that AL leaders and activists have received a massive response from the people. “We've started making fresh members for the party and got a good response from the people,” said Shafiqul Islam Shafiq, a union AL chairman.
Abu Sayem, a youth from Bogra district, has recently become an AL member. He said he was proud of being an “honourable” member of the party.
Sayem also said he was confident that the AL would remain in power for more than two or three terms as there was no sign of an alternative.
When contacted, the AL's Jamalpur district unit president, Baki Billah, said yesterday that the membership drive was progressing in full swing and getting good response from common people. “I hope we’ll be able to fulfil the target of collecting over 2 crore members,” he added.  
Rajshahi city AL president AHM Khairuzzaman Liton yesterday told this correspondent that they had started collecting new members. “We’re getting a better response than the previous drive. We’ll soon start a door-to-door campaign,” he added. Meanwhile, the AL leadership has said they will draw fresh blood as well as women voters for the party, keeping in mind the general election slated for 2019.
“The main target of our membership drive is to attract young and women voters. If we can make them our party members ahead of the next poll, they won’t vote for anyone but AL candidates,” AL general secretary Obaidul Quader said yesterday. Grassroots leaders had been advised to make eminent citizens, including schoolteachers and imams of mosques, members of the party, he disclosed.
Speaking about the membership drive, AL joint general secretary Abdur Rahman said: “Our membership collection drive has been going on and we’re getting a huge response. I hope we’ll fulfil the target of collecting two crore new members ahead of the next poll.” Replying to a question, Rahman said: “There is no room in the party for those who don’t believe in the spirit of the Liberation War.” After collecting the new members from across the country, the party will scrutinise the list of new members, he added. When contacted, Dhaka South city unit AL general secretary Shahe Alam Murad told The Independent yesterday that following the directives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, they had started collecting new members, including women. According to the AL constitution, the party membership should be renewed every three years by paying the subscription fee. The AL conducted its last membership drive in 2010. An existing party member can renew his/her membership by paying the subscription fee of Tk. 20 only.
Party insiders say that the AL leadership has a target of enrolling two crore new members from all over the country and at least 25 lakh new members from the capital. The target will be completed by January next year, they add. Meanwhile, the party general secretary warned that they would have to be alert while making new members and renewing memberships to keep out those who do not believe in the spirit of the Liberation War and in non-communal politics.