'Free education up to degree level if AL voted to power'

An American-educated Joy prescribed education as the single-most means to achieve that end, and announced that education would be for free up to degree level if the party his mother leads is voted to power in the next election.

"I want to build a country where there will be no poverty and deficiency of food. Only education can create brilliant and competitive leadership who will take the nation into a new era of development. Hence, I have a plan to make education up to graduate level full free if AL is voted to power again," said Joy.

He was addressing a meeting to exchange views with Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) at the Diploma Engineers' Institute in the city yesterday.

Joy made a stringent criticism of the ruling coalition saying that the BNP-Jamaat government pushed the country backward while the last AL government had achieved a satisfactory success in various sectors, including education and development.

He blamed the government for designing plots to rig the next general election through "election engineering", as he said they understood that people would not vote for them once more.

Joy urged the BCL workers to remain alert about all "anti-democracy conspiracies" and keep a close eye on next general election activities.

The government has politicised all sectors appointing party men as part of election engineering.

Joy thanked BCL leaders and activists of all levels for holding a peaceful election to elect their new president and secretary.

Chaired by BCL President Mahmud Hasan Ripon, the meeting was also addressed by General Secretary Mufazzal Haider Chowdhury Ruton.