Job creation, curbing graft Awami League’s priority

The Awami League's main focus will be on generating employment in order to make Bangladesh a developed nation by 2041, said several leaders involved in drafting of the party's election manifesto.

The party is likely to set a goal of creating 1.5 crore jobs in the next five years, which was also mentioned in the declaration adopted at AL national council in December last year.

AL Presidium Member Abdur Razzaque told this correspondent in January that the party's next manifesto would focus mainly on the major goals set in the 2022 declaration.

According to government data, the unemployment rate was 3.53 percent in 2022. If voted to power, the AL's goal will be to significantly lower the rate.

To create employment opportunities, the government will ensure domestic and foreign investments in the areas of farming, industries, health sector, and infrastructure.

Several AL leaders involved in drafting the AL manifesto for the January 7 parliamentary election said the new manifesto is based on the party's 2022 declaration.

The AL will promise to transform the country from digital to a smart one,said leaders of the party.

It may also promise to turn Bangladesh into a developed and smart nation by 2041. AL President Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to unveil the manifesto on December 27 at a city hotel.

According to sources, this time the printed manifesto will havethe size of a magazine instead of a booklet.

The AL is likely to make promises of reducing prices of essentials and increasing investments in farming and agro-processing.

Healthcare for low-income people, accountability of law enforcement agencies, and eradicating communalism and militancy will be on agenda too.

The party will make promises of zero-tolerance for corruption in administration, illegal wealth, bribery, abuse of power, and nepotism.

Transparency, accountability and good governance at all levels may get focus in the manifesto.

Another goal will be to make more expressways and widen the national and major highways so that communication becomes faster. At the same time, the Road Safety Act will be enacted and enforced.

Over the next seven years, there will be metro rail services between Airport and Kamalapur,  Notun Bazar and Purbachal, Gabtoli and Kanchpur Bridge, Kamalapur and Narayanganj, and Savar and Bhatara.

If voted to power, the party will introduce cost-effective technologies to farming, industries and the service sectors.

It is likely to combat misrepresentation of the human rights situation in Bangladesh.

There will be steps to uphold free flow of information and prevent attacks and false cases against journalists.

The fugitive killers of the father of the nation will be brought back and the sentences against them will be executed.

The AL might commit to maintaining enough foreign currency reserves and reducing the gap between import and export.

The party is expected to pledge a reform for banks and the financial sector in general. Financial crimes such as syphoning off money abroad will be dealt with an iron hand.

The AL will also eliminate homelessness and rehabilitate beggars.

The 2022 declaration mentioned that the AL would take the country's power generation capacity to 40,000MW by 2030 and 60,000MW by 2041. This promise is likely to come up in the manifesto.

Bringing around 8 crore people under the universal pension scheme and senior citizens under social insurance will be prioritised.

Steps will be taken to protect the minority communities while the use of environment-friendly products will be ensured.