Election agenda for seeking people's mandate

The great people of Bangladesh have a proven tradition of turning the tide and knocking down oppressors when their frustrations become unbearable. The ruling alliance government and the opposition alliance are now locked in an impasse over reforms of the electoral process.

Donors and development partners have also extended their helping hands to help resolve the deadlock and break the ice. Hopefully good sense will prevail, and our dear motherland will eventually thrive following the ideals of the liberation war.

Bangladesh is really not a failed country, neither are the Bangladeshis a failed nation. A few individuals, or self-styled politicians, encouraged corruption by snatching power through the backdoor. The country got a bad reputation because these autocrats institutionalised corruption and hooliganism in different spheres of life.

But the majority of the green, beautiful Bangladesh are still hard working, peace loving, and honest citizens. As proud Bangladeshis, it hurts us to accept the realistic criticism by the Western world about our dear motherland because we know that our motherland has immense potential to emerge as a vibrant and dynamic economic force.

The intent and focus of this article is not to elaborate on the contentious agenda but to give some idea about how the incumbent government may plan the future course of actions.

As the country has earned a bad reputation due to widespread corruption, mismanagement, and organised vandalism, it now requires a specific election agenda, with the consensus of patriotic democratic forces, for assisting people to judge their future leaders.

We have a serious law and order situation, human rights violations, energy crisis. Political alliances must publish their planned course of action on how they will address and mitigate those. Let me tell you how one of the major political parties has declared its policy in a civilised country like Australia.

The election in the state of Queensland is due this month. The policy to deliver a raft of initiatives for the first 100 days of the new term has been declared by one of the contending parties. We may get some clue, though our priorities and lines of action will be different:

• Outline a blueprint that will see the emergence of Mount Isa, Townsville, and Bowen as a major triangle of industrial development and mineral processing over the course of the next half century.
• Bangladesh may do the same for the western side of the Jamuna River, with Sirajgonj, Ishwardi, Bheramara, Jessore and Mongla as an industrial triangle.
• Announce preferred developer status for development of the Arukun bauxite deposit.
• Can we think of something like this for our coal deposit exploitation in the most cost effective and echo friendly way?
• Establish a clean coal technology board, and initiate action to test new technologies in the generation of clean power from fossil fuels. We have just entered the coal era.
• We should have an appropriate coal policy in place and we should diversify our energy sources to prevent non economic use of natural gas. The CNG network must be extended all over Bangladesh. Only small off-grid gas-fired power plants, and a few barge-mounted plants can be built along the national gas grid to manage any crisis.
• Amend state development and public works acts, and related legislation, to provide the Coordinator-General with powers to take over approval processes where agencies have not made decisions within 20 working days.
• In our country the city mayor's office can be technically strengthened to assume such responsibilities.
• Identify private sector partners, and prioritise areas for implementation of the mineral exploration and collaborative drilling program.
• We will require revision of the national energy policy. A gas act and coal policy can be integrated in the NEP. We must have a very transparent exploration strategy for offshore drilling. Bapex can have a joint venture partner of proven capability. The energy regulatory commission act can be amended to give more authority. Attractive pay and benefits must be given to attract and retain competent professionals.
• Initiate works on major road projects including release of environmental impact statement on Airport Link, awarding of construction for Ipswitch Logan Motorway interchange and final investment decision on Northern Bus way.
• Well, in our case Padma Multipurpose Bridge and Dhaka-Chittagong express highway should be top priority initiatives. Can Dhaka cantonment be moved away from the city to Rajendrapoor, retaining the domestic areas intact? Free passage through cantonment area will ease much of the present traffic congestion.
• Accelerate major rail projects by awarding tenderfor the mitcheelton to Ke perra second track , complete track works on Ormeau to Coomera duplication and commencing construction of Salisbury to Kuraby third track.

In our case, we can have a comprehensive plan for a Dhaka city circular road, rail, gas main and go for phased implementation. Major city-link rail communication have plenty of room to improve. Dhaka city can have city metro or elevated express Rail link.

Well just to draw analogy, some of the election pledges of a certain political party are discussed here. They mean it and vow to the people to implement it within a given timeframe. If they fail without valid reasons they are voted out. Election process is very open and transparent, press is free and independent. Police is people-friendly and judiciary is unbiased and neutral.

We all love our country and in our time we served the nation with our humble capacity. Now circumstances have driven us to different places for different reasons. We know Bangladeshis are a proud people, having an enviable history. We do not want to be branded as a failed nation for the misdeeds of only a few criminals.

May I appeal to sensible political leadership to declare their election pledges, indicating how they are going to address major national issues like the way leaders from other nations do.