Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has unveiled the party's ambitious election manifesto, setting forth a vision to create fresh employment opportunities for 15 million youth by the year 2030.
The central theme of the manifesto is reflected in the slogan "Unnoyon drisshoman, barbe ebar kormoshongsthan" (visible development, now increasing employment), underscoring the party's commitment to fostering economic growth while addressing the pressing issue of unemployment among the youth.
She emphasized the creation of more job options for qualified young individuals and announced a comprehensive training program for 3.1 million youths at the district and upazila levels, with ongoing support for their professional development.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that if the Awami League secures victory in the upcoming general election on January 7, the youth will play a pivotal role in the transformation and development of Bangladesh.
The premier said Bangladesh has achieved a prestigious place globally because of the government’s foreign policy, following Bangabandhu’s principle of friendship to all and malice towards none.
She said her government will maintain cooperation with neighbouring countries in cross-border communication, transit, energy partnership, and equitable water-sharing, and will prevent the presence of militants, international terrorists, and separatist groups on its territory.
AL will stand by journalists
Moreover, Sheikh Hasina highlighted the party's commitment to safeguarding the rights and well-being of journalists. She assured that, if elected, her government would ensure journalists are protected from torture, intimidation, and false cases.
The recently enacted Cyber Security Act will be leveraged to safeguard privacy and information, with measures in place to prevent misuse, she added.
The prime minister underscored her government's dedication to supporting journalists through financial and medical assistance, extending the reach of the Journalist Welfare Trust. She also disclosed that efforts are underway to establish the 10th Wage Board for journalists.
Regarding her government's commitment to freedom of information and media, Sheikh Hasina pointed out that during her tenure from 1996 to 2001, the Awami League pioneered the opening of television and radio to the private sector. The media landscape has since flourished, boasting 3,241 newspapers, 33 private TV channels, 23 FM radio channels, and 18 community radio stations.
Clean energy and gas supply
Turning towards infrastructural development, Sheikh Hasina pledged to ensure gas supply to the northern and western regions of Bangladesh while significantly increasing the supply of both gas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
Furthermore, the Awami League aims to generate 10,000MW of electricity from clean energy sources. The modernization of the grid to accommodate electricity from renewable and nuclear power plants is already in progress, marking significant strides in the country's power sector over the Awami League’s last three terms.
Sheikh Hasina said her party is dedicated to uninterrupted and quality power and energy supply. Long-term plans have been formulated to increase power generation capacity to 40,000MW by 2030 and an ambitious 60,000MW by 2041.
Protecting the environment
Environmental conservation and sustainable development are integral components of the Awami League's manifesto. Sheikh Hasina introduced the Delta Plan-2100, a comprehensive adaptation-based master plan developed in collaboration with the Netherlands.
This visionary plan aims to develop safe, prosperous deltas resilient to climate change, with goals to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030, achieve upper-middle-income country status by 2030, and attain the status of a prosperous country by 2041.
The Delta Plan-2100 outlines six critical goals, including security from floods and climate change-related disasters, significant water efficiency, sustainable river basin and estuary management, conservation of climate and ecosystems, effective institutions for water resource management, and optimal integrated use of land and water resources.
To combat the adverse effects of plastic products on the environment, the manifesto pledges to mandate the use of environmentally friendly and biodegradable plastic.
The government also commits to ongoing efforts to achieve a 20% share of renewable energy in the country's total energy by 2041, emphasizing the modernization of the grid to accommodate electricity from renewable and nuclear sources.
