Dev projects to prominently feature in AL campaign

With the aim of winning over voters, the Awami League-led government has taken up numerous development projects as it heads into election season. Awami League leaders including Prime Minister and party president Sheikh Hasina are now busy inaugurating many development projects across the country in the final year of the government’s term. Ruling party leaders claim that the Awami League has changed the total economic scenario of Bangladesh in the last four years. They will try to complete all ongoing projects and start other projects in the final year which they promised voters before the previous elections. Two presidium members of Awami League seeking anonymity told the Dhaka Tribune that under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership Bangladesh has become an emerging economic power and the country will be a middle-income state by 2021 and a developed and prosperous one by 2041, if Awami League wins the next election. “To get votes from neutral and young voters we have to take development projects to impress them (voters). That’s why we will try to start all the projects this year which we pledged before the 10th national elections,” said a joint general secretary of the Awami League, wishing unnamed. On January 30 (Tuesday) Sheikh Hasina formally launched party’s electoral campaign in Sylhet. She addressed a public rally organised by the local unit of Awami League at Sylhet Alia Madrasa ground. She also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 35 development projects, which party leaders see as “gifts” from the prime minister for the district’s people ahead of the polls. In her speech, the prime minister called upon people to vote for her party to keep up the pace of development across the country. Hasina said: “Bangladesh will be a developed and prosperous nation. People of Bangladesh will move forward with dignity in the global arena. It’s our goal. To achieve this goal, we want your vote for ‘boat’ (Awami League’s electoral symbol) in the next elections to be held in December this year.” Earlier on January 12, in her address to the nation, the prime minister said that Bangladesh had already achieved the status of a lower-middle income country, while its per capita income reached $1,610 and the volume of the GDP to Tk1,975,817 crore. She also said that the country’s growth is 7.28% this year and the poverty rate was reduced to 22% from 41% in 2005. On December 31 last year, the prime minister inaugurated Sheikh Hasina Software Park and laid the foundation stone of 27 development schemes by unveiling their plaques in Jessore. “In the coming days, Prime Minister will visit several districts where she will launch several development projects to fulfill our electoral manifesto,” said Awami League presidium member Pijush Kanti Bhattacharjee. Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune over phone Awami League adviser Pronob Kumar Barua said: “Holding rallies across the country and giving gifts to voters before the election is part of our election campaign. This will continue until the last minute of next national election to impress the voters.”