AL to unveil election manifesto on 27 Dec: Quader 

The ruling Awami League is set to unveil its election manifesto on 27 December, the party's General Secretary Obaidul Quader confirmed yesterday.

"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the president of Bangladesh Awami League, will officially announce the party's election manifesto on that day," he said in a press briefing at the AL president's political office in Dhanmondi. 

At this time, Quader, also Road Transport and Bridges Minister, called for adherence to the electoral code of conduct, urging all AL candidates to uphold peaceful conduct throughout the election period.

He also noted that the AL will kick off its electoral campaign with the inaugural rally scheduled for 20 December in Sylhet.

Back in September, the Awami League constituted an election manifesto committee, with party presidium member Abdur Razzak as convener and information and research secretary Salim Mahmud as member secretary.

Among the members of the manifesto committee are Mosiur Rahman, Anupam Sen, Sattar Mandal, Bajlul Haque Khandkar, Professor Aams Arefin Siddique, Shamsul Alam, Dipu Moni, aHasan Mahmud, Advocate Sham Rezaul Karim, Shekhar Dutt, Maqsud Kamal, Mahfuzur Rahman, Prof Khairul Hossain, Prof Sadeka Halim, Sazzadul Hasan, Advocate Tarana Halim, Wasika Ayesha Khan, Barrister Biplab Barua, Junaid Ahmed Palak, Barrister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, Prof Mohammad A Arafat, Advocate Sayem Khan, Sadiqur Rahman Chowdhury, and Sabbir Ahmed FCA. 

After the first meeting of the committee was held on 28 September, the party sought the opinions of the people and community leaders regarding the manifesto in a public notice signed by Awami League's Manifesto Drafting Sub-committee Member Secretary Salim Mahmud on 4 October.

The public notice requested everyone to send their opinions to the Awami League President's Office in Dhanmondi via post or email by 20 October.

Salim Mahmud, member secretary of the manifesto preparation sub-committee, told The Business Standard that the 2018 election manifesto will serve as a foundation for the upcoming one.

He said, "It will incorporate strategies that leverage the country's resources to address current global challenges and guide the nation's progress."

The Awami League's previous manifesto, titled "Bangladesh on the march of prosperity", outlined plans for a developed and prosperous Bangladesh by 2041 and a secure delta by 2100. 

However, the implementation of the 2018 manifesto has been somewhat hampered by these two global crises [pandemic and Ukraine war], party sources said. 

Therefore, the future manifesto plans are expected to address the issue of dealing with such a crisis.

Several other AL leaders associated with the manifesto said that the election pledges would be formulated with several generations in mind and would contain details of various types of plans for the short, medium and long terms. 

Among these are the Second Perspective Plan (2021-2041), Delta Plan 2100, Ninth Five Year Plan (2026-2030), Tenth Five Year Plan (2031-2035), and Eleventh Five Year Plan (2036-2040).

Reportedly, AL will pledge to end extreme poverty in the country by 2031 and build a "Smart Bangladesh" by 2041. 

The vision for a "Smart Bangladesh" will rest on four key foundations: Smart Citizen, Smart Economy, Smart Government, and Smart Society, according to several party sources. 

In line with this, the manifesto will outline strategies to expand digital manufacturing and exports, boost the domestic digital market, and advance people's digital skills.