What the BNP has promised in party manifesto

The BNP has revealed the party’s manifesto for the upcoming general election.

The following are some notable provisions pledged in the 9-page summary document released by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam on Tuesday.

# Measures will be taken to strike a balance between the powers of the president and prime minister. Provisions will be made to prevent a prime minister from serving more than two consecutive terms. The wealth statements of the prime minister, ministers, MPs and other government officials will be published annually.

# An upper house of parliament will be established, comprising people of different social and educational backgrounds.

# The constitutional provision for a referendum, which was scrapped by the 15th amendment, will be restored.  Article 70 of the constitution will be amended to ensure the right of MPs to express independent opinions while subject to certain conditions.

# A national commission will be established to institute a new political culture which is free from any politics of vengeance.

# An ombudsman will be established in accordance with the constitution to ensure transparency and accountability of administrative bodies.

# The accountability of law enforcement agencies including the RAB will be ensured.  The existing structure of RAB will be changed and an additional armed police battalion will be established under the auspices of the Home Ministry. The ‘risk allowance’ of the police personnel will be raised. Steps will be taken to achieve greater professionalism within the police force. Welfare programmes will be instituted for the benefit of the police. The salaries of inspectors and sub-inspectors will be upgraded within six months. Members of the police force will continue to receive rations upon retirement.

# Article 116 of the constitution will be amended in order to transfer control of the lower courts from the president to the Supreme Court. A new judicial commission will be established to bring reforms to the existing judicial set up.

# All contentious legislations including the Digital Security Act, Official Secrets Act and Special Powers Act 1974 will be repealed.

# There will be no time limit on entering public services except serving in defence, police and Ansar.

# All inquiry reports related to the BDR mutiny and the Bangladesh Bank reserve heist will be published in the public domain. Additional inquiries into these incidents will be sanctioned.

# The GDP annual growth rate will be increased to 11 per cent. Qualified, honest and skilled persons will be appointed to the Board of Directors of the Securities Exchange Commission and state-owned banks.

# The management and supervisory powers over state-owned banks, vested in the Banking Division of the Finance Ministry will be transferred to the central bank.

# Foreigners working in the country on the basis of work permits will be prevented from laundering money.

# Extra-judicial killings, disappearances and inhuman physical and mental torture will be eliminated.

# An unemployment allowance will be granted to educated members of the workforce, who have been unemployed for a year or until they have secured employment, whichever comes first. They will receive financial aid under a viable economic initiative. A youth parliament will be established in order to protect the interests of youths under the age of 25.

# All freedom fighters will be declared as honourable citizens of the state. Corruption in the formulation of list of freedom fighters will be eliminated. The allowance granted to the families of martyred freedom fighters will be increased in line with the rate of inflation. Sites of mass killings, graves and other areas of significance during the Liberation War, which are scattered across the country, will be identified and commemorated through the erection of memorial structures. A national initiative will be taken to conduct an intensive survey to prepare an accurate list of freedom fighters, who will then be accorded state recognition.   

#The reasons for the high costs accruing to rental power projects will be investigated.

# Allowances granted to poor, widowed or abandoned women and helpless elderly persons will be increased in line with the rate of inflation. A pension fund will be created by way of a legal instrument to help those working in the private sector or are self-employed, during old age. A rationing system will be established for poor and low-income people.

# The social, political, economic and religious rights of minorities will be protected irrespective of political affiliation, race or religion. To this end, a ministry of religious minorities will be established.