The National Citizen Party (NCP) has announced a 36-point election manifesto, including setting the minimum age to vote as 16 and a minimum wage of Tk 100 per hour.
NCP Convener Nahid Islam unveiled the manifesto in Dhaka’s Lakeshore Hotel this afternoon.
The manifesto’s basic foundation is “Youth and Dignity”. It promises sweeping reforms under the banners of “good governance, reform, and sovereignty”.
The manifesto targets 36 key issues focused on 12 subjects, from democratic reform and civil rights to social security and economic development.
Key pledges include tax reform and job creation; major investments in education; digital health; women’s rights; environmental protection and renewable energy; direct subsidies for agriculture; fair share of water; and border security in foreign policy.
Nahid said the system built over the last five decades has failed true democracy, leading to repression, economic collapse, and a loss of national prestige.
Referring to the July movement, Nahid said it exposed the need for a new political settlement to prevent dictatorship and create an inclusive state.
He said the NCP is participating in the elections with this goal in mind and has not wavered from its position of reforms.
Regarding the alliance, he said, “Although the NCP is part of the 11-party alliance, it is just an electoral alliance.”
“The government’s policies will not be controlled by the ideology of any one party. Rather, work will be done on the basis of unity of the parties on the principles of reform, justice, combating corruption and opposing hegemony,” he said.
He said that is why the NCP announced its own manifesto separately. This manifesto is not a complete outline of all sectors, but rather a clear list of what issues will be prioritised if it becomes a partner in the government.
NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain said the manifesto reflects extensive youth surveys, expert discussions, and nationwide seminars.
“We have made promises that can actually be delivered. Over the next five years, our main goals are higher allocations for health and education, stronger social security, and major economic reforms,” he said.