'Super Caravan' Launches Nationwide Multimedia Drive for 13th Parliamentary Election and July Referendum
A fleet of ten “vote vehicles” – dubbed the Super Caravan – has embarked on a nationwide journey to promote awareness of the 13th parliamentary election and the July national referendum through digital displays and multimedia content. The caravan was officially inaugurated on Monday at the South Plaza of the National Parliament.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Information and Broadcasting Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Culture Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, Senior Secretary of the Election Commission Secretariat Akhtar Ahmed, and Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser Shafiqul Alam, who jointly cut the ribbon to mark the launch.
In a video message, Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus emphasized that Bangladesh is entering a critical period, with the upcoming parliamentary elections and July referendum on national documents. He stated that the ten vote vehicles will travel across all 64 districts and 300 upazilas, reaching citizens door-to-door to provide election and referendum information, raise awareness of voting rights, and promote democratic participation.
“Voting is not a favor; it is our constitutional right. Exercising this right determines the future path of our nation. Ensuring a free, fair, and participatory election is not only the government’s responsibility, it is the duty of every citizen,” said Professor Yunus. He further urged citizens to vote responsibly for their preferred candidates and, regarding the July referendum, to cast a “Yes” vote if they support it.
Following the launch, a virtual meeting was held with the heads of information offices from 68 districts, chaired by Information and Broadcasting Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan. She instructed district officers to prepare field-level action plans for voter awareness campaigns within two days. These plans will coordinate with other election-related ministries and institutions to implement grassroots promotion of voting and referendum participation. Syeda Rizwana Hasan noted that such coordination will save public funds and ensure an effective and result-oriented campaign.
The event also included speeches by Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperative Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, Culture Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, Local Government Secretary Md. Rezaul Maksud Zahedi, and Culture Secretary Md. Mofidul Rahman. Information and Broadcasting Secretary Mahbuba Farzana conducted the program.
Commenting on the campaign, Culture Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki praised the Information Ministry’s field-level initiatives and stressed the need to accelerate them further. He noted that a referendum demo leaflet is nearly finalized, which will enhance the campaign when followed. He also suggested integrating district information offices and local administration with the “vote vehicles” initiative.
Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperative Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan emphasized the importance of coordination between the Information Ministry, Culture Ministry, and local government offices to achieve better results in election promotion.
During the program, Secretary Mahbuba Farzana highlighted the Information Ministry’s ongoing efforts to promote the referendum and 13th parliamentary elections through 64 district and four upazila information offices. She noted that voter awareness is especially targeted at first-time voters, youth, women, and ethnic minority communities, using region-specific popular music and campaigns.
Practical demonstrations of the referendum will be conducted under the “Votalap” and ten-minute brief programs, Farzana added.
The online briefing also included Additional Secretary Dr. Mohammad Altaf-ul-Alam, Director General of the Department of Mass Communication Md. Abdul Jalil, Joint Secretary Riyasat Al Wasif, Directors of Technical Affairs Mir Mohammad Aslam Uddin, Administration Syed A Mu’men, Publicity Dalia Yasmin, and Deputy Directors Kazi Shammeenaz Alam and Gazi Sharifa Yasmin.
DBTech/BPO/EK/OR
