By Mashrur Ahmed
The announcement of the election manifesto by the Bangladesh Awami League for the 12th National Parliament Election under the slogan “Smart Bangladesh: Visible Development, Workplace Growth this Time” is truly reflective of a SMART manifesto. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound. In the democratic political culture, the declaration of election manifesto has become a tradition where various political parties present their future development plans, commitments, and promises to the general public. In line with this tradition, the Awami League announced its manifesto for the 12th National Parliament Election on December 27 at Hotel Sonargaon in the capital, led by the Awami League President, Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina.
The committee formed under the leadership of Dr. Mohammad Abdur Razzaque, a presidium member of the Awami League’s central committee and the Minister of Agriculture in the government, has prepared this election manifesto. The manifesto focuses on eleven key areas, emphasizing the creation of job opportunities for the youth, enhancement of economic skills and capabilities, ensuring purchasing power in commodity markets, promoting profitable agriculture, providing accessible healthcare to low-income individuals, facilitating industrial expansion with visible infrastructure advantages, and building a modern technology-dependent Smart Bangladesh.
The announcement of Sheikh Hasina’s election manifesto aligns with the commitment made in 2041 to build an advanced, prosperous, and smart Bangladesh. The manifesto ensures support and assistance for agriculture through the purchase of equipment, making agricultural machinery easily available, and maintaining support for agricultural machinery. The manifesto gives special importance to modernization, technological innovation, and agricultural research. Sheikh Hasina emphasized the commitment to providing urban facilities to every village and promoting self-employment arrangements in the villages to reduce the inclination of rural youth towards urbanization.
The commitment to ‘Zero Tolerance’ in curbing corruption has been reaffirmed in the election manifesto. A governance focused on welfare, accountability, skillful and smart administration has been emphasized. Strong determination has been expressed to take effective measures for the rule of law, protection of human rights, and establishing good governance. The use of modern technology for the enhancement of rights and facilities for people of all classes is promised in the manifesto. The manifesto aims to use modern technology for the development of remote areas and the empowerment of rural women and the improvement of their technological skills.
This election manifesto of the Awami League is a well-thought-out, creative, and informative document where special emphasis has been given to the needs and aspirations of the general people of Bangladesh. With the announcement of this development vision in the four pillars of “Smart Citizen,” “Smart Government,” “Smart Economy,” and “Smart Society,” we hope that this development vision of the Awami League will be an assistant in building a prosperous, poverty-free, and smart ‘Sonar Bangla’ after the formation of the elected government through the people’s vote.
