Joy wants Harvard guy to run publicity

The ruling Awami League plans to engage a Harvard professor to conduct publicity campaign across the country ahead of the next parliamentary elections.
Insiders say Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy is working on the party's publicity strategy. Joy, who was educated in the US, would bring the Harvard professor and help the party chalk out its new campaign strategies, they add.
The Daily Star could not get the name of the Harvard professor immediately. Sources said he was highly expert in publicity campaign for political parties and would come to Bangladesh shortly.
The sources added before coming to Dhaka more than a week ago, Joy had talked to the professor. He also shared his idea with a number of AL lawmakers and sought their opinions about strengthening publicity campaign.
Speaking anonymously, several AL lawmakers said the party's campaign strategies would be chalked out based on each constituency, mindset of the voters' in the constituency and regional factors.
“For example, if a constituency needs something special like a bridge or a road, the campaign will be focused on it in that constituency,” said a lawmaker.
The constituency-based campaign would work more than the centralised campaign, said the lawmaker asking not to be identified.
As part of the party's initial plan, AL would go for a massive publicity campaign immediately after the Eid-ul-Fitr. The prime focus of the campaign would be countering what the AL insiders say is BNP-Jamaat-Hefajat's anti-government propaganda and religion issues.
At the same time, the party would train its focus on terrorist and militant activities occurred during the last BNP-Jamaat rule and the incumbent government's development activities.
The insiders say AL also plans to engage theology scholars to remove confusion over religion-based propaganda. The party might also bring several small Islamist parties in the fold of the grand alliance ahead of the next polls, they add.
The lawmakers who have met Joy requested him to tell the prime minister to change policy in some cases to increase public confidence in the party, the insiders further say. Joy assured them of conveying the message to his mother, also the chief of AL.
Contacted, a number of AL leaders said it was too early to comment on the campaign strategies.