In today’s episode of ‘The Election Talks 2018’, Sultana Kamal, eminent rights activist and former adviser to a caretaker government, talks with The Daily Star about the upcoming election.

She sheds light on the various promises made by the ruling Awami League and the opposition BNP in their election manifestos unveiled on December 18 on a one-to-one with Shakhawat Liton, planning editor of The Daily Star.

Sultana Kamal said that to bring back people’s trust, the political parties have to fulfill the promises they make in their manifestos.

“People won’t believe only in talks. I personally think that often the manifestos are created to win over the hearts of people. These are made just for the sake of saying something,” she said.

About the overall election environment in the country, Sultana Kamal said, “This time, we are in an unprecedented situation now. The government is still in power, the ministers are still ministers. So, they are being able to deliver their messages to people without any barrier. But the other party is not getting the privilege.”

“If from the beginning so much injustice and disparity prevail, how will we expect justice from them later?”

Watch the video to know more!

The Daily Star is launching a new series of talk show ‘The Election Talks 2018’ where experts will be analysing all aspects of the upcoming general elections, contemporary politics, events and incidents.

In today’s episode, Former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Majumder talks with the show host Shakhawat Liton, planning editor of The Daily Star.

The show is the seventh episode of The Daily Star’s political talk show series ahead of the December 30 election.

During unveiling the election manifesto for the 11th parliamentary election, the ruling Awami League highlighted a chart of development ensured in its last 10 years of rule.

Ali Imam Majumder expressed his solidarity with the Awami League’s claim in ensuring the country’s financial and infrastructural development.

On the other hand, Imam contradicted the party’s claim in improving the administrative activities. “I think, administrative degeneration has been done since the last one decade.”

The holding of a free and fair election has been made difficult due to the politicisation of the civil administration and the security agencies including police, he said. 

The Awami League was not eager in keeping the civil administration free from political influence during its last two-term rule, he said.

When asked whether democratic practices in the country have been interrupted as the government was engaged in carrying out development activities, he said democracy and development is a complementary matter to each other and ensuring of development of a country becomes possible when democracy exists there.

In today’s episode of Daily Star Election Talks, hosted the newspaper’s Planning Editor Shakhawat Liton, two students of Dhaka University—Sumaya Jahid and Saiful Islam—shed light on the aspirations and thoughts of the young generation over the December 30 elections.

What kind of election the young generation is expecting? In response, Sumaya Jahid says, “We obviously want a free and fair election and demand a congenial atmosphere to cast votes.”

In her opinion, the young generation wants to cast their votes peacefully.

Another student of Dhaka University, Saiful Islam says, “We express our opinion through vote only once in five years. If that space is shrunk or we cannot cast our votes, it will be much frustrating.”

In this election, around 2.5 crore youths are going to exercise their franchise for the first time. The political parties have come with different kinds of pledges to woo the young voters. The major parties have promised that they would ensure education and employment of the youths. Even, the Election Commission has sought the attention of the young generation in an advertisement.

Regarding the pledges of the major parties, Sumaya says a political party committed to creating employment opportunity for the youths in its manifesto; the party is now in power. However, have they been able to alleviate the unemployment problem in reality?

Asked whether the society of youths are disinterested to politics, Saiful said, “If the youths are really apathetic to politics, it is because of the politicians’ presentation of politics that is making the youths to be nonchalant to politics.”

Sumaya expects, whichever party forms the government through the election, will improve the education system. The new government will prevent question paper leaks, bring reformation in the job sector and reduce the unemployment rate, she hopes.

Echoing her peer, Saiful stresses on the right to freedom of expression as guaranteed by the constitution and expansion of employment opportunity out of Dhaka.

To know more, watch the full video here!