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BSS-48
BNP-MANIFESTO
BNP announces 19-point manifesto
DHAKA, Dec 18, 2018 (BSS) – Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) today
announced 19-point manifesto for the 11th national elections scheduled to be
held on December 30.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the manifesto
at a hotel here in the absence of party chief and imprisoned ex-premier Begum
Khaleda Zia and her “fugitive” son and acting party chief Tarique Rahman.
“BNP wants to form a developed democratic system, he said while announcing
the polls manifesto at Hotel Lakeshore where senior party leaders were
present.
Terming Digital Security Act, Official Secrets Act and Special Power Acts
as ‘black laws’, Alamgir said BNP would scrap the laws to facilitate freedom
of speech and expression and remove all barriers to freedom of information by
amending the Right to Information Act.
Pledging to ensure freedom of speech and withdraw online vigilance to
safeguard public right to opinion on the internet, he said the party would
lift restrictions on social media to let people freely speak.
“If elected to power BNP would not pursue any revengeful politics,” he
said.
The manifesto promised to ensure independence of the judiciary alongside
freedom of speech, strike a balance of power between the President and Prime
Minister, make a provision bar one’s premiership after two terms, power
decentralization and create job opportunities for younger generation waiving
age limit for recruitment in government services.
He said the party would take effective measures to promote youths and wide
scopes for women empowerment and education, enhance the honour of freedom
fighters as honorable citizens.
The manifesto also highlighted the party policies to widen ICT facilities
alongside sports and culture and steps for expatriate welfare, development of
agriculture, industries, health and education, armed forces and police,
housing, environment and ethnic minority groups.
Party standing committee members Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan
and Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, among others, accompanied the party
secretary general as he released the manifesto.
BSS/ZRM/OG/RY/20:40 hrs