United News of Bangladesh

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman is set to announce the party’s election manifesto for the 13th parliamentary election on Friday. BNP media cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan said the manifesto will be unveiled at 3:30pm at Sonargaon Hotel in the capital. He said party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will preside over the programme while Nazrul Islam Khan, a standing committee member and chairman of the party’s central election steering committee, will conduct the programme. Diplomats and intellectuals and noted citizens and prominent figures from various professional groups have been invited to the programme. Tarique Rahman is leading the BNP in this parliamentary election, making it the first time he will formally present the party’s election manifesto. In the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth parliamentary elections, the party was led by his mother and then BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, who announced the manifestos on those occasions. Although the BNP-led Jatiya Oikya Front took part in the 11th parliamentary election in 2018, Khaleda Zia was in jail at the time, and the manifesto was announced on December 18 that year by Mirza Fakhrul at Lakeshore Hotel in Gulshan. The BNP boycotted the 10th and 12th parliamentary elections held under Sheikh Hasina’s government. Speaking about the upcoming manifesto, Mahdi Amin, spokesperson of the BNP’s central election steering committee, said the party worked with people from all walks of life under the guidance of Tarique Rahman. He said the manifesto has been prepared based on the party’s 31-point outline and feedback collected from grassroots levels across divisions, districts, upazilas and wards, aiming to address people’s problems and improve their lives. Mahdi said the document reflects both the vision of the party’s top leadership and the needs of ordinary citizens, focusing on realistic and sustainable planning. BNP to hold its final election rally in Dhaka on Feb 8 He also said Tarique Rahman’s plans centre on people’s empowerment, freedom, self-reliance, security and inclusive development, with the goal of building a Bangladesh where citizens enjoy ownership of the state and better living conditions for their families. Party sources said the manifesto gives priority to young people, females, farmers and workers, with corruption eradication, establishment of good governance, creation of new jobs and economic liberation of people set as the party’s main goals. Special programmes have also been included to attract new voters. According to party insiders, BNP’s core promises will centre on eight major areas, including family cards, farmer cards, social security, job creation, youth and women’s empowerment, demand-based education, improved healthcare and family-friendly policies. These programmes, already shared with the public, will receive the highest priority in the manifesto. The manifesto will also include pledges to waive agricultural loans of up to Tk 10,000 including interest, construct the Padma Barrage in response to India’s Farakka Barrage, implement the Teesta mega plan and address region-specific problems across the country. Restoration of democratic governance, rebuilding the electoral system, judicial independence, administrative decentralisation, protection of human rights and strengthening anti-corruption institutions have been included as central themes. Party policymakers said BNP’s commitment is to return state ownership to the people and establish an administration free from partisan influence.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is set to roll out its election manifesto on Friday ahead of the 13th parliamentary election, outlining eight key pledges it says will guide the country if it returns to power, with a focus on tackling corruption, strengthening good governance and promoting economic freedom. BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman will formally unveil the manifesto at 3:00pm at Sonargaon Hotel in the capital, his press secretary Saleh Shibly told UNB on Wednesday night. Diplomats and intellectuals and noted citizens and prominent figures from various professional groups will be invited to the programme. Party sources said the manifesto has been prepared by combining BNP’s previously announced 31-point reform outline, the July Charter, commitments made by Tarique Rahman at election rallies and the party’s recent political directions. The manifesto gives priority to young people, females, farmers and workers, with corruption eradication, establishment of good governance, creation of new jobs and economic liberation of people set as the party’s main goals. Special programmes have also been included to attract new voters. According to party insiders, BNP’s core promises will centre on eight major areas, including family cards, farmer cards, social security, job creation, youth and women’s empowerment, demand-based education, improved healthcare and family-friendly policies. These programmes, already shared with the public, will receive the highest priority in the manifesto. The manifesto will also include pledges to waive agricultural loans of up to Tk 10,000 including interest, construct the Padma Barrage in response to India’s Farakka Barrage, implement the Teesta mega plan and address region-specific problems across the country. Restoration of democratic governance, rebuilding the electoral system, judicial independence, administrative decentralisation, protection of human rights and strengthening anti-corruption institutions have been included as central themes. Party policymakers said BNP’s commitment is to return state ownership to the people and establish an administration free from partisan influence. BNP leaders expressed hope that the combined manifesto, based on the 31-point agenda, the July Charter and target-group-focused commitments, will meet public expectations. Sources said Tarique Rahman directly supervised the preparation of the manifesto, with the slogan ‘Bangladesh First’ given special importance. BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said the party has already presented practical programmes aimed at ensuring economic freedom for the people, which will be reflected prominently in the manifesto. “The main objective of the BNP manifesto is to rebuild the collapsed state structure, establish a strong democratic state and consolidate our independence, security and democracy through constitutional reforms, ultimately ensuring economic freedom for the people,” he said. BNP announced its 31-point reform outline on July 13, 2023, aiming at constitutional and state reforms and economic emancipation. The manifesto will elaborate on key issues including free and fair elections under a non-partisan government, independence of the Election Commission, protection of human rights, freedom of expression, transparent administration and economic recovery. In line with the July Charter, the manifesto will also prioritise full independence and neutrality of constitutional bodies such as the Election Commission, Human Rights Commission and Anti-Corruption Commission. BNP to make women self-reliant if voted to power: Tarique The manifesto will include commitments to develop Qawmi madrasah, establish an Islamic research fund, modernise religious education and ensure an environment free from barriers to religious practice. It will also promise special tribunals to prevent land grabbing from religious and ethnic minorities, security cells, state support during festivals and strict action to prevent communal violence. Targeting the youth, BNP has pledged large-scale job creation, including one crore new jobs within the first 18 months in office, startup funds, IT training, access to new overseas labour markets and formation of an anti-drug task force. Agriculture has been given special emphasis, with commitments to reduce input costs, ensure fair prices, simplify agricultural loans and ensure transparent procurement of rice and paddy. Tarique Rahman has recently said farmers will no longer be forced to sell crops at a loss. BNP to build equitable, knowledge-based society, hopes Zubaida Women’s safety, equal opportunities at workplaces, women entrepreneurs’ fund, increased maternity allowances and fast-track tribunals to prevent violence against women have also been included. BNP has already shared its eight priority social policy areas with the diplomatic community and development partners. These include family cards, farmer cards, health, education, sports, environment, employment and welfare-oriented roles for mosque- and madrasa-based religious leaders. On January 21, BNP highlighted these eight sectors at a policy dissemination programme held at a city hotel in Banani, attended by ambassadors and diplomats from around 30 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, China, India, Pakistan and Russia.

Tasnim Jara, an independent candidate of Dhaka-9 seat, on Saturday unveiled her election manifesto, pledging to stop billing residents for undelivered gas and ensure local issues are tracked through a transparent digital dashboard. In a post on her verified Facebook page, the former National Citizens Party leader accused authorities of charging for gas while residents receive air instead of fuel, calling it a ‘betrayal with people’. She promised that, if elected, her first parliamentary initiative would be a draft law enforcing the ‘no service, no bill’ principle, making it illegal for suppliers to charge if gas delivery fails, and allowing monthly bills to be waived in such cases. Highlighting exploitation by unscrupulous LPG traders, Jara vowed to break price-fixing syndicates and compel authorities to ensure affordable cylinder supply, while pressing administrators to punish any violations. She criticised Dhaka-9 residents’ unequal access to public services despite paying taxes comparable to affluent areas like Gulshan and Banani. “Leaders visit only during elections and then disappear. The state sees us merely as revenue sources.” On urban infrastructure, Jara pledged to modernise drainage systems, clear canals before monsoon and enforce strict deadlines on roadwork, imposing fines for contractor delays. Citing critical healthcare gaps in the constituency, Jara highlighted overcrowding at Mugda Medical College Hospital and annual dengue risks. She assured continuous coordination with the Health Ministry for adequate staffing, modern equipment, and accountability, while upgrading community clinics to mini-hospitals and deploying mosquito control squads.  Special focus will also be given to maternal healthcare and women-friendly facilities. On public safety, she proposed installing CCTV and high-power streetlights in crime-prone areas such as Khilgaon-Bashabo, promising safe corridors for schools, colleges, and workplaces, alongside an anti-drug campaign with treatment support for addicts. Jara also committed to ending corrupt school admissions, establishing modern labs, language clubs, and coding facilities, as well as libraries to foster child development. She announced a ‘Start-Up Dhaka-9’ fund to support youth entrepreneurship and day-care centers to empower working mothers, along with e-commerce training and legal protections for informal workers. Tasnim Jara regains candidacy in appeal for Dhaka-9 Jara emphasised accessibility, promising a permanent Dhaka-9 constituency office within a month of her election, staffed to provide services even after office hours, and introducing an open digital dashboard so residents can track their complaints in real time. Addressing voters directly, Jara said, “I am not a professional politician. After the July popular uprising, a transparent political opportunity arose, and I joined to build the country. This manifesto is a commitment, not empty promises.” She urged voters to support a ‘doctor who knows problems and solutions, keeps promises, and stands by people in crisis’, emphasising her professional and accountable approach.

Awami League mayoral candidate for the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) election Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh on Wednesday unveiled a 5-point election manifesto promising to work for building Dhaka as a developed and well-governed city.

BNP’s Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) mayoral candidate Tabith Awal on Monday unveiled his election manifesto promising to turn Dhaka into a sustainable world-class city.

Awami League mayoral candidate for Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Atiqul Islam on Sunday promised to build a “modern, dynamic and healthy” Dhaka if he is reelected.

Awami League mayoral candidate for Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) polls Atiqul Islam will announce his election manifesto on Sunday.