The ruling Awami League is considering its 20th national council session as a platform to plan its election campaign and map out its manifesto for the next parliamentary polls.
The manifesto of Awami League (AL) for the next general elections will be based on the resolution to be taken at the 20th national council session, said senior leaders of the party.
The ruling party might formally announce its plans about the election campaign at the conference.
AL presidium member, and road transport and bridges minister, Obaidul Kader said, “The prime minister had made the announcement of preparations, before Ramadan, for the 11th parliamentary elections to be taken up. We started (working on it) since then. Our organisational activities will be strengthened during the council session.”
The ruling party’s emphasis on the next elections has been understood when this correspondent talked with three presidium members and two joint general secretaries of AL.
They said the date of the party’s council session was repeatedly deferred because they wanted to map out the plans of the elections for the 11th Jatiya Sangsad (legislative assembly).
The party may come up with attractive slogans in the election manifesto in the light of the “Charter for Change” that contained the vision for “Digital Bangladesh” before the Awami League won the 2008 general elections.
After three delays, the date of the 20th triennial council session has been fixed on 22 to 23 October at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka city.
Another presidium member, Nooh-ul-Alam Lenin, told Prothom Alo, “The Awami League will design the manifesto for the 11th parliamentary elections in the light of the resolution to be taken at the 20th national council session.”
Three secretarial members of the party said they learned from different “sources” that the BNP will participate in the elections under the AL government.
However, they are also aware of the BNP’s issues about the election commission, the role of which remains critical in holding free and fair elections.
The current election commission is going to complete its tenure in next February.
Everybody’s opinion will be taken into account for formation of the new election commission, the AL leaders said.
These leaders said they are determined to hold the polls under the Awami League government.
Source: Prothom Alo
