AL promises getting bigger

The Awami League's election manifesto says the party will work on 11 key areas to make Bangladesh a smart country by 2041.

The highest priority will be on creating job opportunities, AL President Sheikh Hasina said yesterday as she presented the manifesto for the January 7 national election at a city hotel.

"We are responsible for the mistakes made while running the government over the last 15 years. The success is yours. Be forgiving of our mistakes. We promise to learn from past errors and carry out future activities according to your expectations," said Hasina, addressing voters across the country.

"We are committed to making a developed and prosperous Bangladesh. Vote for the boat [the AL symbol]," she said.

We are responsible for the mistakes made while running the government over the last 15 years. The success is yours.

— SHEIKH HASINA

The party tagline this time is:

In Smart Bangladesh, where developments beam,

boosting employability is now our collective dream.

The 98-page manifesto lays emphasis on controlling the prices of essentials, building a smart Bangladesh based on the use of modern technology, increasing investment on farming, expanding the industries, and empowering the financial sector including banks.

Affordable healthcare for low-income people, wider universal pension scheme, accountability of law enforcement agencies, eradication of communalism and militancy, and democratic practice at all levels are also promised.

A smart economy, smart government, smart society, and smart citizens will be the four pillars of smart Bangladesh.

If voted to power, the party will continue its policy of zero-tolerance for corruption and take strict measures against illegal wealth, bribery, nepotism and abuse of power.

Those running propaganda abroad and misrepresenting the human rights situation in Bangladesh will be dealt with an iron hand while misuse of the cybersecurity act will be prevented.

The government will confiscate illegal money, assets, and bring laundered assets from abroad.

In the chapter titled "good governance", the party pledges to establish transparency, accountability, and good governance while encouraging educated, skilled, smart and honest people to participate in politics.

The AL's 2014 manifesto promised to ensure accountability of the lawmakers for their activities in and outside parliament. Its 2018 manifesto and the latest one made no mention of the matter.

The 2008 manifesto said the AL would end extrajudicial killings and make public the wealth statements and income sources of the prime minister and all the MPs. The promises had not appeared in the following manifestos.

In the new manifesto, the AL pledges to create jobs for 1.5 crore people by 2030 so that the unemployment rate comes down to 3 percent. Many of the jobs will be created through industrialisation.

Poverty rate will be lowered to 11 percent by 2028 and 3 percent by 2041 while extreme poverty will be a thing of the past by 2031.

Power generation capacity will reach 40,000MW by 2030 and 60,000MW by 2041 while 10,000MW will be produced from clean sources and rental and inefficient power plants will be phased out.

There will be 12 expressways by 2041, and functional metro routes from Airport-Kamalapur, Notun Bazar-Purbachal Depot, Gabatli-Kanchpur Bridge, Kamalapur-Narayanganj, and Savar-Bhatara by 2030.

Citizens will get health IDs and there will be a system of universal health care.

Before the 2018 election, AL promised to form a National Commission for Minorities and enact the Minorities Protection Act. But the party hardly took any visible measures to fulfil its promises.

The new manifesto says the AL will ensure 33 percent participation of women in politics and make it mandatory to use environment-friendly and biodegradable plastic.

Regarding foreign policy, the AL vows to continue cooperation with India and play a robust role in forming the South Asia Task Force to combat terrorism and militancy.

The AL will also strengthen Bangladesh's relations with China for development finance and with Russia for the energy sector.