Adarsha Dhaka Andolon, an electoral platform of pro-BNP professionals, on Wednesday pledged a livable, safe and clean Dhaka for all, if the BNP-supported mayoral candidates win.
This promise is part of a common manifesto the group unveiled for two BNP-backed mayoral candidates in the elections to Dhaka North and Dhaka South city corporations.
Shawkat Mahmud, member secretary of the platform, announced the manifesto – charter of demands – at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club.
The BNP-backed two mayoral candidates in the two Dhaka cities are contesting the elections under the platform floated recently.
In the manifesto, the platform focused on 17 issues, including city governance, city plan, city streets and transport management, education and health services, environment protection, accommodation, law and order, human rights, social safety, women’s rights and information technology, for their candidates to deal with if they are elected, to make the city livable, safe and clean.
“We’ve mentioned 17 issues in our manifesto on which our candidates will focus and deal with if they are elected. This is the manifesto of Adarsha Dhaka Andolon in favour of the two BNP-backed mayoral candidates Mirza Abbas Tabith Awal,” he said.
Mahumud, however, said the two candidates will also announce their respective manifestos separately.
He urged the voters to elect Mirza Abbas in the Dhaka South City Corporation polls while Tabith in the North to implement their manifesto.
Addressing the programme, platform convener Prof Emajuddin Ahmed said the Election Commission’s current activities are not satisfactory to hold a free and fair election.
He said they had been at the Commission earlier and urged it to take steps so that all the candidates can reach out their all voters through campaign, rallies and processions, and voters can willfully cast their ballots for the candidates of their choice. “But, they (EC) didn’t take satisfactory steps to this end.”
Emajuddin said they want the Commission to deploy members of the Armed Forces with adequate power to deal with offenders and criminals at least seven days before the elections.
Asked whether the 20-party’s transport blockade that was enforced on January 5 is still effective, he said he is not clear whether the programme is on or off, but there is no effect of the programme in two Dhaka cities and Chittagong city due to the electioneering.
Source: Prothom Alo
