Highlights of AL’s election manifesto

Staff Correspondent: Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday announced her party manifesto for the upcoming 11^th parliamentary elections slated for December 30 pledging to keep the country on the track of prosperity.

She unveiled the election manifesto at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel here in Dhaka.

Following is the highlights of the Awami League (AL) manifesto announced today for the 11th parliamentary election.

* The GDP growth will be increased to 10% in the next five years. Bangladesh will be a middle income country in 2021, the year when the golden jubilee of the country will be celebrated.

* The per capita income of the people of Bangladesh will be over US$ 5,479 in 2041, Bangladesh will emerge as a developed country in the comity of nations and the poverty rate will come down towards zero.

* AL will take steps to create employment opportunities for 1.28 crore in the next 5 years. Employment opportunities for 1,000 youths and young women from each upazila will be created outside the country.

* Taking steps for further strengthening institutionalization of democracy, elections and effective parliament.

* Efforts will be continued to strengthen the Human Rights Commission, Anti-corruption Commission, Media and Judiciary.

* Protection of rule of law and human rights. Independence of judiciary will be maintained.

* Skilled, service-oriented and accountable administration will be ensured. The transparency, accountability, fairness and service of the administration will be ensured.

* People friendly law enforcement agency will be built. Recruitment in law enforcement agencies, including police, will be made in proportionate with the population of the country in the next years.

* AL will continue to show zero tolerance policy against corruption.

* AL’s stance towards zero tolerance policy against militancy, communality, terrorism and drugs will continue. Highest priority will be given in uprooting terrorism, extortion and land grabber.

* AL will continue to strengthen further the local government and people’s empowerment. More financial and administrative authority will be decentralized to the local government bodies.

* Steps will be taken to ensure transparency, accountability and people’s participation in planning of land use at towns and cities, planned development and city management.

* AL is committed to implementing 10 mega projects. Work on the construction of Nuclear power plant is progressing fast. Development work of Payra port is going on. Sonadia deep sea port, Rampal power plant and Matarbari power plant projects are under implementation. The construction of LNG terminal has been completed and supply of LNG to national grid started.

* ‘My village-my town’: Expansion of modern civic amenities at each village. AL will undertake and implement programs aimed at turning villages into towns. The facilities including power will be reached to villages.

* Potable water and improved sanitation will be ensured.

* Infrastructure for healthy entertainment and sports will be built at rural areas.

* AL is committed to build an organized, disciplined and production oriented youth force. Youth training center will also be set-up in all upazilas.

* AL is committed to establishing equal rights and dignity of women. Child marriage will be decreased to near zero. Equal wage for male and female will be ensured. To encourage women entrepreneurs, separate banking and loan facilities will be ensured.

* At present, 4.92 crore people are getting various financial assistance under social safety-net programs. In the next five years, the number will be doubled and the amount of the assistance will also be increased.

* Poverty rate will be brought down to 12.3 percent and that of extreme poverty to 5 percent.

* AL will continue one house one farm project. The poor people will be provided with soft-term loan to engage themselves in income-generating activities.

* For achieving food-autarky, subsidy in agricultural inputs will continue. The agricultural appliances will be made easily available and cheaper.

* A skilled supply chain/value chain for agricultural products and crop processing will be built. Allocation in the budget for agricultural research will be increased. Soft-term loan, subsidy, technological and policy support for small and medium-sized milk and poultry farms and fish cultivation will be widened.

* Electricity will be ensured for all by 2020 and by 2023, the power generation capacity will be 28,000 megawatt and 5,000 CFT LNG supply will be ensured.

* AL will continue to put emphasis on labor intensive small and medium industries for creating employment. As the present govt plans to setup 100 economic zones under public and private initiatives, policy decision to establish 89 zones have been undertaken and work on 14 zones is progressing. The economic zones will add additional US$ 40 billion in the export earning and create nearly 10 million jobs.

* IT parks will be established in each divisional city where a huge number of youths will be employed in next five years.

* AL will continue to maintain labor welfare and labor policy. Minimum wage for the laborers of 40 sectors out of 43 sectors has been restructured. Rationing system for all workers and hardcore poor and rural landless farm laborers will be introduced.

* Highest budget allocation will be ensured for education sector and all out steps will be taken for improving the standard of education. School-feeding program will gradually be introduced at all villages, semi-muffashal towns and for the poor.
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* The ongoing stipend programs from primary to higher education level will be continued. The madrasha education will be harmonized with the main stream education.

* To get education in the languages of the ethnic groups will be ensured and their books will be distributed at free of cost.

* AL will ensure health service at free of cost for children under one year and citizens over 65 years.

* One medical university will be setup at each divisional city.

* Bullet trains between Dhaka and divisional cities will be introduced.

* In the next 5 years 10 thousand km of waterways will be brought under dredging. The four rivers around Dhaka will be re-excavated.

* A new international airport will be set up. The existing domestic and international airports will be modernized.

* Modern bus service will be introduced in the capital for bringing discipline in mass transport system. Underpass/overpasses will be constructed adjacent to educational institutions situated near highways. A tunnel will be constructed under the river Jamuna for easing communication with northern region.

* AL will introduce 5-G by 2021-23. The price of internet and mobile usage will be reduced to a reasonable level.

* AL will ensure the maximum use of sea resources as Blue-Economy-opened the horizon of development.

* In order to help the affected people due to climate change, the allocation for ‘Bangladesh Climate Trust Fund’ will further be increased. The size of the productive forest will be increased from 13.14 percent in 2015 to 20 percent.|

* Rehabilitation of street children and their safe accommodation, establishment of childcare for poor and destitute children and compulsory primary education for them will be introduced.

* Special measures will be taken to ensure the education, employment, mobility, communication, treatment of the disabled people and their social status will be upgraded.

* Special actions will be taken to protect the memories of the Liberation War across the country, prevent distortion of history and to protect genuine history. The mass killing sites and mass graves during liberation war will be identified.

* As per the constitution, all citizens will be guaranteed freedom of religion. Bangladesh will be built in a non-communal spirit.

* There will be no law against the Quraan and Sunnah. Over 560 mosque-cum-Islamic Cultural Centers will be built across the country.

* State sponsorship will be expanded to increase the continuous excellence and practice of art and culture including Bangla language, literature, arts and crafts, music, Jatra, drama, film and creative publications.

* The glorious position of Bangladesh in the world cricket will be further strengthened.

* Efforts will be taken for all games and sports including football and hockey to reach international standard.

* Construction of mini stadium in each upazila will be completed.

* Initiatives will be taken to implement those sections of the CHT Peace Accord which have not yet been implemented.

* National Minority Commission will be constituted. All kinds of laws and systems for discrimination towards ethnic minorities and ethnic groups will be terminated.

* Effective measures will be taken to protect propagation of fake news and unexpected rumor.

* The journalism and news media which are loyal to social liabilities will be promoted from the government side.

* The security of journalists and media staff will be ensured for their professional duties.

* Media friendly act will be formulated. There will be no misuse of any law against journalist and mass media.

* The policy, we have taken to keep the Armed forces from all debates, will be continued. The ongoing process of modernization of Army, Navy and Air Forces will be continued.

* AL will continue its efforts to have just share of the waters of all common rivers, including Teesta, and bilateral trade and security cooperation with India. The bilateral cooperation with neighboring countries will be increased.

* AL will continue its policy not to shelter any militant, international terrorist and separatist in its soil.

* Efforts will continue in various bi-lateral, regional and international forums, in addition to bi-lateral discussion, to send Rohingyas to their country.

* The SDG goals will be achieved through incorporating it in the 7th 5-Year Plan.

* 100 years plan styled as `Delta Plan 2100’’ has been taken for facing the challenges of climate change to achieve the desired development of the country. This plan will be helpful in attaining middle income country by 2030 and developed one by 2041.


risingbd/Dhaka/Dec 18, 2018/Saif/AI