Sheikh Hasina unveils election manifesto

Bangladesh Awami League has unveiled its election manifesto with a pledge to attach top priority to curbing prices of essentials, ensuring food security, alleviating poverty, fighting corruption and trying the war criminals, if the party is voted to power.(The BD Today )

The election manifesto was formally placed before the nation by Awami League President Sheikh Hasina at a crowded press conference at Hotel Sheraton on Friday.

The 24-page manifesto described as 'a charter for change' highlights AL's vision upto 2021. Reading out party's poll manifesto Sheikh Hasina stated "We envision a Bangladesh which by 2020/2021 will be a middle income country where poverty will be drastically reduced; where our citizens will be able to meet every basic need and where development will be on fast track, with ever-increasing rates of growth. Towards that goal, Bangladesh Awami League will frame a strategy paper, at the core of which will be the promise of change."

She said considering the existing politico-social-economic crisis, five subjects have been given priority in the manifesto including commodity price hike. "Measures will be taken to reduce the unbearable burden of price hike and keep it in tune with the purchasing power of the people. After giving the highest priority to the production of domestic commodities, arrangements will be made for timely import to ensure food security. A multi-prong drive will be made to control prices along with monitoring the market. Hoarding and profiteering syndicates will be eliminated. An institution for commodity price control and consumer protection will be set up."

Promising to make the country self-sufficient in food she said that her party will take all steps to achieve food-security within next four years and she will make fertiliser, seed, oil, power and other agriculture materials available to farmers and give more subsidies to agro sector in this regard.

The AL manifesto promised to adopt all effective steps to curb corruption saying that powerful people will have to submit wealth statement annually, strict measures will be taken to eliminate bribery, extortion, rent seeking and corruption, stringent measures will be taken against illegal and black money holders, loan defaulters, tender manipulators and users of muscle power. State of private monopoly will be broken up, discretionary power of officials will be curtailed and citizen's charter will be introduced in every government department in order to establish people's right, she added. Wealth statement and source of income by the Prime Minister, members of the cabinet, MPs and their family members will be made public every year.

About energy sector, she said economic usage of oil, gas, coal, hydro power, wind power and solar energy will ensured. In next 3 years or by 2011 power production will be increased to 5000 megawatt and by 2013 it will be further increased to 7000 megawatt; priority will be given to exploration and exploitation of oil and new gas fields; steps will be taken to supply gas in the northern and western regions, supply of LPG will be increased and coal based power plant will be preferred and coals will be exploited from new coal fields.

To stamp out poverty and inequality, she said by 2013 poverty level and proportion of ultra-poor will be reduced from 25 % to 15% and number of poor will be cut down from 45 million to 22 million. At least one person of a family will be given work opportunity to support the whole family; amount of allowance for elderly people, destitute women and freedom fighters will be doubled.

She committed launching crusade against terrorism and religious extremism, initiating trial of war criminals, effecting judgment of Bangabandhu murder case, arranging retrial of jail killing case, trying the 21st August grenade-attackers; human rights will be strengthened and ombudsman will be appointed. Hasina said that religion and communalism in the politics will be banned, militancy will be addressed, security and rights of religious and ethnic minorities will be ensured.

Hasina slated BNP-Jamaat regime which was marked by rise of militancy and country-wide bomb attacks killing two assistant judges in Jhalakathi and grenade attack on August 21 killing Ivy Rahman, and killing of SAMS Kibria. Terming that regime as "dark period" she vowed to fight against above things if Awami League comes to power.

"In order to encourage investment by local and foreign entrepreneurs and expatriate Bangladeshis, one-stop facility will be made effective by simplifying legal and procedural formalities. Development of IT industries, strengthening RMG and textile sectors and expansion of food processing, pharmaceuticals, leather, chemical products, jewelry and furniture industries will be given priority. Special initiative will be taken for alternative use of jute and make jute industry viable. Small and handicraft industries as well as agro-based enterprises will be encouraged. Expansion of tourism sector and increase in labour export will be ensured," Hasina said.

Apart from these, highest budgetary allocation has been promised to be given to fields of education, science and information technology. Net enrolment at primary education will be raised upto 100% by 2011 and 2017, salary of teachers to be increased, pay commission and separate service commission will be constituted for teachers and cost-free education will be provided to both girls and boys upto degree level.

In a bid to ensure health facility to every citizen, Awami League will commission 18,000 community clinics established during previous AL regime and birth and reproductive healthcare will be emphasized, she told.

Hasina vowed to ensure meaningful independence of judiciary, freedom of mass media and elevation while modernization of defence services will be undertaken. Besides, investigation into killing of journalists and punishment to murderers will be ensured.

She dedicated her election pledges to young and new voters as party's policies referred to in 'vision 2021' have been meant for creation of a country which was dreamt for in 1971. She further promised that if Awami League can form the next government, it would transform Rangpur into a division.