Staff Correspondent, Dhaka
In a few days, the ruling Awami League will release its election manifesto. Party president Sheikh Hasina will announce the manifesto as usual.
The manifesto of the party is on its way to be finalised. Sheikh Hasina will officially announce the manifesto formulated in the second week of December with the aim of building ‘Smart Bangladesh’.
Member of the Awami League presidium convener of the manifesto drafting committee. Abdur Razzak told that Awami League’s manifesto this year has plans to ensure good governance, control commodity prices, streamline the financial sector, increase employment, available technology and agricultural production.
The draft manifesto has been submitted to party chief Sheikh Hasina. The final manifesto is being prepared under her guidance. The issue of ensuring good governance is gaining importance in the manifesto this time.
Awami League, which has been running the state for three consecutive terms, has entered the field after the election commission started preparing for the election date in January.
The party’s manifesto formulation committee has started working on the formulation of promises for this election from September 28.
The slogan of Awami League’s manifesto in the 2008 election was ‘Din Bodoler Sanad (Certificate of Change)’. In the tenth parliamentary election of 2014, ‘Egiye jachchhe Bangladesh (Bangladesh is moving forward)’.
In the manifesto of the party that led the liberation war in the 11th election in 2018, the slogan was ‘Tarunnyer Shakti, Bangladesher Samriddhi (Youth power, Bangladesh’s prosperity)’.
Awami League office secretary Biplab Buraya, a member of the manifesto drafting committee, said that there will be specific recommendations on how to strengthen the democratic governance system, non-communal state system. There will also be how to reduce the cost of goods.
The first part of the manifesto will contain the picture of the implementation of the promises of the last election. And in the second part, the promise of the next five years. Alongside will be some future outlines.
Muhammad Farooq Khan, a member of the Awami League presidium, said, “What will be our commitment to the people for the next five years?” It will be very specific. Also, an outline of what to do in five years or ten years will be given.
Meanwhile, the foreign minister believes that the guidelines for fulfilling the 17 conditions of sustainable development will give international acceptance to the manifesto.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told that we will achieve the target of sustainable development. Hunger-free, poverty-free Bangladesh. Now it is Smart Bangladesh. That will be in our manifesto. I hope our manifesto will be good for the country.
The convener of the committee said that the manifesto is being prepared keeping in mind how to deal with foreign forces and conspiracies.
Abdur Razzaq said, foreign forces, foreign conspiracies and those who have made Pakistan’s laziness, those who are the remaining victims, fanatics – what strategies, programs and how to deal with them will come in the manifesto.
He said, our party president Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is watching it. giving instructions from time to time. They say what to focus more on.
This time, Awami League discussed with the representatives of the low income people of the society including farmers, local small traders, working people at the district, upazila, union level and learned about their demands and expectations. At the same time the views of civil society representatives have been taken. The issue of ensuring the control of commodity prices, good governance in the financial sector and the accountability of law and order forces is also in the manifesto.