Manifesto Mapping: Website Archives Bangladesh’s Election Pledges Since 1991
As political parties contesting the 13th National Parliamentary Election roll out their election manifestos, a dedicated website compiling the manifestos of major political parties from elections held since 1991 has been launched.
Developed as part of a research project, the website has already incorporated the manifestos released so far for the February 12 election. The research project, titled “Political Party Manifestos in Bangladesh’s Elections,” is being conducted by Ali Riaz and M M Musa.
Explaining the objective of the website, the project notes that it aims to assist researchers, journalists, and citizens in examining the promises and policy agendas outlined by political parties in their election manifestos since 1991. To this end, manifestos published by various parties over the years have been brought together into a single, accessible database.
According to the project description, elections are a fundamental pillar of democratic governance. In a parliamentary system, national elections allow citizens to choose their representatives to the legislature. Free, fair, and participatory elections open avenues for citizen engagement in governance. Both political parties and independent candidates participate in elections. Alongside nominating candidates, almost every political party publishes an election manifesto, which reflects the party’s ideological stance and future plans.
The manifesto, the description emphasizes, constitutes a formal commitment to the electorate. In that sense, it also serves as a benchmark for evaluating the actions and performance of the party that assumes power through electoral victory.
Professor Ali Riaz is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Politics and Government at Illinois State University, USA, and serves as the President of the American Institute of Bangladesh Studies (AIBS). He is currently working as Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser with the rank of adviser.
M M Musa is a writer and researcher. A former journalist by profession, he regularly writes for various national media outlets, focusing on development issues and the lives of marginalized communities.
DBTech/MRT/EK/OR
