A new website has compiled election manifestos of major political parties from national elections held since 1991, as parties release their pledges for the upcoming 13th parliamentary election.
The online archive, titled Political Party Manifestos in Bangladesh Elections, has been created as part of a research project by Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Ali Riaz and Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser M M Musa.
The website, available at votemanifesto.com, also includes manifestos already published for the election scheduled for 12 February.
According to the organisers, the platform aims to help researchers, journalists and citizens review the commitments and policy priorities political parties have announced in their manifestos since 1991.
The database brings together publicly released documents so that party promises and declared action plans can be examined and compared.
The project description notes that “Elections are a core element of a democratic system. In a parliamentary structure, citizens elect their representatives through national polls. Free, fair and participatory elections enable public engagement in governance. Alongside nominating candidates, most parties publish election manifestos outlining their ideological positions and future programmes. These documents represent commitments to voters and serve as a benchmark to assess the performance of parties after assuming office.”
