♦ Per capita income over $5,479 by 2030
♦ Social safety net coverage to double
♦ Form National Minority Commission
♦ People-friendly law enforcement agencies
♦ At least one earning-member in every family
The ruling Awami League's election manifesto will make promises of strengthening democracy, rule of law and ridding the country of corruption under the tagline “Bangladesh on the March of Prosperity”.
AL leaders involved in drafting the document said it would make 21 pledges, including complete eradication of poverty by 2041, social safety net increased twofold and at least one earning member in every family.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. AL President Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to unveil the “Election Manifesto 2018” at a city hotel at 10:00 am today.
The party that has been in power since 2009 would also make promises of ensuring quality education at every stage, more government and private investments, use of digital technology for development and quality health service for all.
The agenda also includes safe roads, self-reliance in power and energy, women empowerment, gender equality, child welfare and nutritious food, modern farming, skilled and service-oriented public administration, people-friendly law enforcement agencies and welfare for senior citizens and persons with disabilities and autism.
Sustainable and inclusive development, urban amenities in rural areas, transformation of young people into skilled manpower and their employment, adoption of a zero tolerance policy towards corruption, eradication of communalism, militancy and drugs, and immediate implementation of mega projects will also be mentioned in the manifesto.
The AL slogan for the 2014 national polls was “Bangladesh Marching Forward” and for 2008 “Right to Vote and Food: Tools to Eliminate Poverty”.
The party also pledges to form a National Minority Commission and enact the Special Minority Protection Act to ensure safety of communities. Laws that discriminate religious and ethnic minorities will be amended and the communities' property rights will be ensured through a reformation of the “Vested Property Act” within a fixed timeframe.
Special quotas will remain for the underprivileged and ethnic minorities in recruitment and admission to educational institutions.
Women's enrolment in higher education and recruitment in higher administrative positions will ensure their empowerment. Women's entrepreneurship will be encouraged through special banking services, easy access to loans and vocational training.
There will be equal wage for men and women, and every government institution will have a day-care centre while the allocation for programmes designed to combat discrimination will increase.
Considering around 70 percent of the voters are aged 35 or below and over two crore new names have been added to the voters' list since the 2008 election, the AL manifesto targets the youth.
The party aims to increase per capita income to over $5,479 by 2030, bring the poverty rate down to zero by 2041 and achieve nine percent GDP growth in the next 20 years.
Bangladesh will be a middle income country by 2021, upper middle income by 2030 and developed by 2041.
The number of people living in extreme poverty will come down to five percent and poverty to 12.3 percent.
Export earning, growth and investment will increase while the banking and financial sectors are developed and money laundering prevented.
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