AL’s promises still unfulfilled

Many important election promises, which the ruling Awami League made before the 2018 elections, remain unfulfilled, at a time when the party is nearing the end of its tenure, speakers said in a dialogue in Rajshahi yesterday.

They said some of the promises regarding education, employment and gender equality are yet to be implemented, while work for some others is ongoing.

The pandemic became an obstacle to fulfil the promises, they mentioned.

They were speaking at the event "Rajshahi Sanglap" on "Commitment to national development of education, decent employment and gender equality" at a city hotel.

Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and Shusashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) jointly organised the dialogue, with assistance of United Nations Democracy Fund. More than 50 dignitaries joined the programme.

Shujan secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar said AL announced its electoral manifesto in 2008 and named it "Din Bodoler Sonod".

"It was truly a document of change. I myself was greatly encouraged, as many ground-breaking changes were promised. I thought I would no longer need to continue Shujan's activities," he said.

But people know how much of the manifesto came into reality, he added.

Presenting the keynote speech, CPD Joint Director Avra Bhattacharjee said the 2018 manifesto promised to bring unemployment rate down to 1.2 percent.

But the rate climbed to 5.3 percent in 2020, from 4.22 percent in 2019, he added.

Avra Bhattacharjee said the manifesto promised hundred percent gender equality in higher education, but male students dominated both public and private universities by 56 and 70 percent in 2020.

Prof Ilias Hossain of Rajshahi University said the 2018 manifesto promised quality education by employing teachers on the basis of merit, qualification and experience, but political consideration remained high.

Prof Farid Uddin Ahmed of RU and Rajshahi Shujan president Mohammad Piar Bux also spoke.

Dr Khondoker Golam Moazzem, research director at CPD, chaired the event.