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AL pledges metro tunnel, circular rail

Finalises electoral manifesto, focuses on food prices, power crisis, graft, terror

Hasan Jahid Tusher
Awami League (AL) has finalised its manifesto with a pledge, among many others, to construct metro tunnel and circular rail to remove traffic jam and solve transport problems if voted to power.
AL will frame a strategy paper containing both mid-term and long-term plans to implement its election pledges, says the manifesto,
which was formally approved by the party yesterday.
.AL Central Working Committee (ALCWC), the highest decision making body of the party, approved the manifesto after a two-day hectic meeting with party chief Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Hasina is set to unveil the manifesto at a press conference at Hotel Sheraton on
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December 12 in presence of representatives of different professionals including foreign diplomats and editors of different news media.
The Daily Star has obtained a copy of the manifesto, which say's AL will deal five matters on an urgent basis including tackling price hike of essentials. resolving power crisis, continuing the drive against corruption, and thwarting terrorism and militancy with an iron hand.
AL also promises construction of hanging bridges on the Padma and Kamaphuli rivers, connecting Bangladesh with Asian Highway and railway, and building a deep-sea port. It also promises to take an initiative to formulate a comprehensive regional water policy with India, Nepal and Bhutan for regional water security.
The party says 100 percent net enrolment at primary-level education and supply of pure drinking water for all will be ensured by 2011.
Besides, the party pledges to make the country self-reliant in food, bring each house under hygienic sanitation, up annual growth rate to 8 percent, and generate 7,000 megawatt of electricity by 2013.
The manifesto says, "Total change will be in effect in the local government system by giving it primacy and the controlling authority in development work. With this end in view, district and upazila level local government will be made self-reliant and self-administered.
"Courtesy and tolerance in inter-party relations will be established and appropriate measures will be taken for practising democratic culture within political parties," says the manifesto. It also says the party’ will also ban the use of religion in politics, bring the war criminals to justice and ensure independence of judiciary'.
AL’SVISION
AL electoral manifesto also includes party's vision for 2020 and 2021, hundredth anniversary of the birth of father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and golden jubilee of the country's independence respectively.
The vision includes hundred percent literacy rate and 10 percent annual growth rate by 2017.
"Our aim is not poverty reduction but poverty’ elimination. Present poverty rate will be reduced to 15 percent from 45 percent and unemployment to 15 percent from 40 percent and employment will be provided for 85 percent by 2021," says the manifesto.
Nutritional needs of 85 percent of the people will be met by 2021 and by this time housing for all will be ensured, it adds.
"We envision a Bangladesh where by 2020/2021 we will be able to reduce poverty drastically, where our citizens will be able to meet every basic human need and our economy as a middle-income country will be on the fast-track to development, with ever-increasing rates of growth," it says.
AL REMOVES EXPULSION' OF LEADERS AND ACTIVISTS
The Awami League (AL) Central Working Committee
yesterday withdrew expulsion orders on over 500 AL leaders and activists who were earlier punished for various offences, including anti-party activities and violating party orders and directives since 2001.
The decision has come after a two-day meeting that began on Friday in AL's Dhanmondi office in the city.
AL President and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina chaired the meeting.
The expulsion orders have been removed against those only who remained loyal after being expelled and later applied for withdrawal, meeting sources said, to bring dynamism in the party activities ahead of the parliamentary election and to give a chance to work as primary' members of die AL.
Mozaffar Hossain Paltu. Monayem Sarkar. Siddiqur Rouf Khan and Nurul Fazal Bulbul are among the leaders who were expelled.
The meeting also approved the party programmes to observe the Martyred Intellectuals Day on December 14 and the Victory Day on December 16.