The opposition alliance, Jatiya Oikyafront, is going to announce its much-talked about election manifesto, promising employment for five lakh youths in the first year and the reduction in medicine prices within three months. The Oikyafront manifesto would announce pardon for their opponents who resorted to violence and subversion and established a reign of terror to cling on to power. If voted to power, the five-party Oikyafront, of which the BNP is the major partner, would restore the balance of power between the President and the Prime Minister, cancel the Digital Security Act within a week, stop politics of vengeance, and open truth and reconciliation cells, said a member of a sub-committee that prepared the manifesto.

Preferring anonymity, he said the manifesto would also promise to arrange employment for aged people without salaries and provide recreation facilities.

The Oikyafront would also promise six months’ specialized training to youths keen on working aboard, he added.

Sub-committee chief Kazi Zafrullah said there would be a pledge to cancel all the black laws including the Digital Security Act.

Besides, he said, the Oikyafront would promise to ensure just price of agricultural products.

The Oikyafront had prepared the manifesto for the next polls slated for December 30, accommodating proposals from the alliance partners to build a welfare-oriented Bangladesh, he said, adding that there would be one manifesto for both the Jatiya Oikyafront and the 20-party alliance.

The Oikyafront would launch the poll manifesto at a press conference to be held at Hotel Purbani in the city at 11:00am today, said Oikyafront media wing chief Dr Mehedi Masud. Top alliance leaders including Ganoforum president Dr Kamal Hossain and BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will present at the event.

Ganoforum general secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu said the poll manifesto would reflect the 11-point vision of the Oikyafront.

Earlier, a six-member sub-committee, comprising Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, Md Mahfuzullah, AOM Shafiqullah, Dr Zahedur Rahman, Shahiduddin Mahmud Swapan, and Iqbal Siddiqui, prepared the manifesto, which was finalised by the steering committee of the Oikyafront later yesterday.

Jatiya Oikyafront, comprising five political parties, was formed on October 13 with a seven-point charter of demands, including the plea to hold next general election under a non-party and neutral government and dissolution of parliament before the elections. Later, Bangabir Kader Siddiqui-led Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Janata League joined the opposition platform.

The other political partners of the alliance are BNP, Ganoforum, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rab), Nagorik Oikya and Jatiya Oikya Prokriya.

Jatiya Oikyafront, on November 11, announced that it would participate in the upcoming elections as part of their movement to restore democracy despite an ‘adverse situation’ in the country.