Vision 2030: Cornerstone of BNP’s next election manifesto

BNP is set to propose a comprehensive guideline to transform Bangladesh into a higher middle-income country by 2030. The party has also undertaken an initiative to achieve double-digit growth in this time by devising an innovative formula, “Vision 2030.” A number of senior BNP leaders have also indicated that their party is favourably disposed toward decentralising the government structure by transforming the parliament into a bicameral one and establishing balance at the executive level. An introduction to these propositions was presented during the party council on March 19 last year. BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will elaborate further on these issues in a press conference on May 10, the senior leaders confirmed. A faction of BNP’s intellectual wing speculates that a “Vision 2050” would be more far-sighted than “Vision 2030” and may lag behind in terms of political strategy. This is because their opposition, the ruling Awami League, has declared “Vision 2021” and “Vision 2041” ahead of the 2008 and 2014 parliamentary elections, respectively. A prominent BNP intellectual has said a private meeting of BNP think tanks would be held on May 18 or 20 to discuss various aspects of “Vision 2030” after the May 10 press conference. Last year, the ruling party harshly scathed BNP’s “Vision 2030,” calling it a copy of Awami League’s “visions.” In a reply to such condemnation, the BNP chairperson’s Media wing Officer Shairul Kabir Khan told the Bangla Tribune that it was the party's Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman who declared “Vision 2021” for the first time ahead of the 2001 election. BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said: “We cannot fathom 2041, being in the midst of 2017. It is a long ways off and many changes will happen in this time.” “Sheikh Hasina may foresee such a long period of time and hence she declared Vision 2041.” “We are currently working on the next two general elections,” the senior leader said. During last year's party council, Khaleda Zia said a draft of “Vision 2030” had been formulated with a view to building a prosperous country and an enlightened society, based on the input and suggestions of all. People from various segments of society, including eminent intellectuals, researchers, planners, and senior professionals in their respective professions, had been incorporated into the process, she said. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said his chairperson would brief the public on everything they need to know about “Vision 2030” on May 10. “But this brief will not include the outline for an election-time government and their party’s manifesto for the next general election,” the BNP secretary general said. “On November 19 last year, Khaleda Zia proposed an impartial election-time government so that the election commission could offer the people a free and fair election.” “We will present the outline of an election-time government before the nation in due time,” he added.  Key features of 'Vision 2030'On analysing the statement of Khaleda Zia, two key features of “Vision 2030” were found. The first one hinted that Bangladesh would be a higher middle-income country by 2030 and its per capita income would be $5000. The second one was about decentralising power by transforming the parliament into a bicameral one to balance the executive power of the prime minister. At the council, Khaleda Zia had said: “In the last two years, people realised that the absolute executive power of the prime minister had changed our government to an autocracy in the guise of democracy.” The concentric nature of the state will be maintained and the upper house of the parliament will be comprised of talented, intelligent people from all communities, including marginal ones. The vision will propose the annulment of a number of controversial laws passed during the tenure of the current government and bring to an end extrajudicial killing and the torture of detainees. The vision will also propose a law on determining the competence of and process for recruiting Supreme Court judges. It will incorporate as well BNP's promise to repress crime and militancy. In particular, no terrorist activities will be allowed in Bangladesh. Besides, the vision will describe in details BNP’s plan regarding education, health, drug control, law enforcement and other vital sectors of the state. “Vision 2030 will be the basis of our manifesto for the next general election,” the BNP chairperson said last year.