DHAKA, Sept 28, 2023 (BSS) - Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said their party's manifesto for the next general elections will be prepared in light of the reality and the present context.

"How many people read the election manifesto? It should be formulated considering that. Important points must be brought out with bullet points. No one has time to read huge books. The challenges of reality have to be overcome with time," he said.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, made the remarks while speaking at the first meeting of AL's Election Manifesto Formulation Committee at the party's Bangabandhu Avenue central office in the capital this morning.

"We should walk in line with the reality. Tough challenges are ahead. There is no need for a big manifesto...because people have less time to read more words. Election manifesto should be prepared in a few words," he said.

The AL general secretary said the AL also has to go into action while such a manifesto should be announced. 

"Adverse impacts of climate change should be considered too. We should also consider the country's transition to a developing one in 2026. After all, we have to keep the year 2040 in mind. Digital Bangladesh has been built and now we need to build smart Bangladesh," he added.

Quader said BNP threatened that it would topple the government within a few days but the AL government will remain in power. 

"Why will we quit? Why would we restore the caretaker government system? Why would Sheikh Hasina resign? People want her and there is no alternative to her," he said. 

Responding to a question over the polls-time cabinet, the road transport and bridges minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will decide it as it is the jurisdiction of the premier. 

He said the election-time government will only do routine works and it will not take major policies. "This is nothing new. The government will perform its routine duties like in other democratic countries of the world," he said.

About the next elections, Quader said the next elections will be free and fair and it will be held in line with the country's constitution. 

AL presidium member and convener of the manifesto formulation committee Dr Abdur Razzaque said the issue of establishing the rule of law will be given importance in the next election manifesto. 

The AL's next election manifesto will be prepared by evaluating the previous manifestos and if necessary, advice will be sought from civil society members in formulating the manifesto, he said.

Chaired by Dr Abdur Razzaque, the meeting was attended, among others, by AL Information and Research Secretary and Member Secretary of manifesto formulation committee Dr Salim Mahmud, former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University Prof AASM Dr Arefin Siddique, Dr Sattar Mandal, Dr Bazlul Haque Khandkar, Dr Shamsul Alam, AL Joint General Secretary and Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud and AL Joint General Secretary Dr Dipu Moni, Shekhar Dutta, Dr Maksud Kamal, Dr Mahfuzur Rahman, Prof Sadeka Halim, Sajjadul Hassan, MP, Advocate Tarana Halim, Wasika Ayesha Khan, Barrister Biplab Barua, Junaid Ahmed Palak, Barrister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Naufel, Prof Mohammad A Arafat and Advocate Sayem Khan.