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BNP draws 100-day plan for economy

Majority leaders still in dark about poll manifesto

RASHIDUL HASAN and RAKIB HASNET SUMAN
BNP's draft election manifesto promises a 100-day crash programme for boosting the country's economy and for creating temporary employment for the poor to deal with the country's existi ng economic crisis, said a highly placed party source.
The manifesto was however drafted by a handful of close aides to Chairperson Khaleda Zia keeping most of the top leaders in the dark, according to party insiders who claimed that the document might be unveiled on December 12.
Along with a 'look east policy', the draft manifesto promises that the party will take steps towards an integrated antiterrorism and anti-militancy policy with effective participation of ten countries of the region, if voted to power, according to the source.
"Economic diplomacy will be the base of BNP's foreign policy," an adviser to the party chairperson told The Daily Star last night.
In the manifesto, BNP pledges to take many steps for eliminating traffic congestions in the capital including shifting Zia International Airport from the city to a place near Jamuna Bridge.
Party insiders said a team of some close associates of the party chairperson drafted the manifesto, which was comprised of Joint Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan, pro-BNP intellectuals, senior journalist Shafik Rehman, and some former bureaucrats.
Shafik Rehman last night however said he does not know anything regarding the BNP manifesto and he was not involved in the process of drafting it.
The draft is likely to be placed before the party standing committee today for approval, which is scheduled to meet in the chairperson's Gulshan office with her in the chair, the insiders said.
Asked about the manifesto last night, Nazrul Islam Khan said, "The draft manifesto will be placed before the standing committee for discussion and approval."
Some other senior leaders including a few standing committee members of the party yesterday however categorically said they do not have any knowledge about the process of drafting the manifesto.
MK Anwar, a former minister also a vice-president of the party, said public expectations and remedies for the country's present crises have been drafted in the manifesto, adding, "I'm not involved in the process."
Other party insiders said the draft manifesto also emphasises spread of IT facilities, empowerment of women, rule of law, curbing of corruption, reducing prices of essentials, and boosting of rural economy.
They also said economic advancement and increasing local and foreign investments will get top priority for poverty reduction through employmentgeneration.
The manifesto also promises effective measures for bringing qualitative changes to the political culture, the insiders added.