By Prof. Dr. Md. Momtazur Rahman
In Bangladesh, election manifestos have traditionally been prepared within a narrow circle of party leaders, policymakers, and experts. As a result, the real opinions, expectations, and priorities of ordinary citizens often remain absent from these documents. Consequently, many manifestos fail to reflect local realities, sector-specific challenges, and people’s lived experiences, and they remain largely aspirational rather than implementable. Against this prevailing practice, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s People’s Manifesto, formulated through the participatory platform Jantar Ishehar, presents a timely and principled effort to place the people at the center of national policymaking.
The fundamental philosophy of the menifesto is that citizens are not only voters but also partners in policy formulation. Jamaat-e-Islami has clearly recognized that sustainable development and effective governance cannot be achieved unless public opinion is included at the earliest stage of decision-making. Through Jantar Ishehar, people from all walks of life are given the opportunity to share their views, proposals, and priorities. These public inputs are considered the primary basis for formulating the manifesto, rather than supplementary opinions added after decisions have already been made.
This approach directly addresses a long-standing limitation in Bangladesh’s political culture, where manifestos are often detached from the real challenges faced by farmers, workers, women, youth, professionals, entrepreneurs, and marginalized communities. Under the manifesto’s framework, farmers’ concerns regarding agriculture, fair pricing, irrigation, and food security, citizens’ expectations about healthcare access and service quality, educators’ views on education reform, and young people’s aspirations for employment and skill development are all incorporated in a structured and systematic manner. In this way, the manifesto reflects the collective voice of the people rather than the perspective of a select group.
Another defining feature of the manifesto is its commitment to a specific, measurable, and time-bound framework. Unlike conventional manifestos that rely on broad statements of intent, Jamaat-e-Islami aims to formulate commitments that can be clearly assessed and monitored. Policy priorities in sectors such as education, health, agriculture, economy, employment, trade, public services, environment, and technology are to be defined with measurable objectives and clear timelines. This ensures that the manifesto functions not merely as a political declaration, but as a practical and implementable development plan.
The manifesto also introduces a two-level structure to ensure both national coherence and local relevance. The National Integrated Manifesto will present a common policy framework addressing national priority sectors and reform agendas. Alongside this, constituency-based manifestos will be developed to reflect the specific problems, needs, and development potential of each region. This structure recognizes that national progress requires solutions that are responsive to local realities, while remaining aligned with an overall national vision.
Transparency and accountability form a central pillar of Jamaat-e-Islami’s People’s Manifesto. To institutionalize accountability beyond election campaigns, the manifesto proposes a public digital Promise Tracker. Through this platform, citizens will be able to see the progress of each post-election commitment, including which promises have been implemented, which are ongoing, and which have faced challenges or delays. This initiative sets a new standard in Bangladeshi politics by making political commitments publicly visible and continuously reviewable.
The Promise Tracker addresses a long-standing gap in democratic practice, where people are rarely informed about the status of electoral pledges after elections. By publicly displaying implementation progress, the manifesto reinforces the principle that political responsibility does not end with winning votes, but continues throughout the period of governance. In doing so, it strengthens public trust and establishes a culture of answerability.
Participation is the guiding principle of the manifesto. The process is designed to ensure inclusion across urban and rural areas and among diverse social groups. Special emphasis is placed on engaging young and first-time voters, based on the belief that the future of Bangladesh belongs to the younger generation. By inviting them to directly express their priorities and aspirations, Jamaat-e-Islami seeks to nurture political awareness, responsibility, and long-term democratic engagement.
At its core, the manifesto is an effort to rebuild trust between citizens and political institutions. When people see their opinions reflected in policy commitments, when promises are clearly defined, and when progress is openly shared, confidence in democratic processes is strengthened. By combining public participation, measurable planning, constituency-level relevance, and transparent monitoring, Jamaat-e-Islami aims to establish a results-oriented and accountable political culture.
The manifesto is exceptional not because it offers more promises, but because it clarifies how those promises are formed, how they are implemented, and how their progress is shared with the people. It presents a new model of politics where citizens are co-authors of policy and active stakeholders in governance.
If implemented as envisioned, the manifesto could mark a significant shift in Bangladesh’s political practice, moving away from elite-driven manifesto writing toward people-powered policymaking, and from symbolic commitments toward transparent and accountable governance. In this sense, the People’s Manifesto is not only an election document. It is a practical roadmap for participatory democracy and responsible governance in Bangladesh.
Prof. Dr. Md. Momtazur Rahman is a professor of English and Registrar at IUBAT (University of Business Agriculture and Technonolgy). He is an advisor, Daily Straits Times and can be reached at momtazur@iubat.edu.
