AL prepares 600,000 campaigners to counter ‘negative propaganda’

Black_cats · Sep 21, 2023

AL prepares 600,000 campaigners to counter ‘negative propaganda’

Special Correspondent
Dhaka
Published: 21 Sep 2023, 04: 36

Flag of Bangladesh Awami League

The ruling Awami League (AL) has undertaken an initiative to prepare 600,000 campaigners ahead of the 12th general election. These campaigners will meet the voters and ask for votes in addition to answering their questions, and will highlight information in favour of the government to counter the negative propaganda of the opposition.

The initiative has been termed as an “offline campaign”, which is a part of the “Road to Smart Bangladesh” programme. The election steering committee has taken up this initiative. Awami League president and prime minister Sheikh Hasina is the chairperson of this committee.

Late HT Imam was the co-chairman of the committee.

According to the sources in the party, the steering committee has not been formed officially yet for the 12th national elections. However, former cabinet secretary Kabir Bin Anwar has been unofficially asked to work for the election steering committee.

Kabir Bin Anwar was seen taking the chair of HT Imam at AL president’s office in the capital’s Dhanmondi within three days of retiring from government service. He is now introducing himself as the chief coordinator of AL’s election steering committee.

Several Awami League leaders affiliated with this initiative said that the party has formed 12 teams with former Chhatra League leaders across the country. Each of this team will work in six districts. They will mainly recruit campaigners from grassroots for field level activities. After that, the campaigners will be trained by local trainers and mentors. They all will be under “master trainers”. Already, the party has selected around 200 master trainers for the campaign. They all are former leaders of Chhatra League and currently teaching in different universities of the country.

A workshop was held in Dhaka last Monday with 100 such master trainers from the first batch. Awami League presidium member Jahangir Kabir Nanak and former cabinet secretary Kabir Bin Anwar addressed the workshop organised at the central office of the Awami League in the capital’s Bangabandhu Avenue.

As part of preparing trainers and mentors, a training of the master trainers was held in an auditorium in the Mymensingh city on Wednesday. Some field level campaigners also attended the programme. Kabir Bin Anwar was the chief guest of the programmes. Local Awami League leaders were also present there.

Chief focal point of the ruling party’s “offline campaign” Sufi Faruk Ibne Abubakar and assistant focal point Syed Imam Baker led the training programme and master trainers trained the campaigners.

Such training programmes are to be held in district, upazila, pourashava (municipality), union and ward levels in phases. According to design of this programme, the BCL leaders will first select the trainers and mentors at district level. These trainers and mentors will then train the field level campaigners and will send them to the houses of the voters. The field level campaigners will work in their own areas.

They will meet the voters and highlight the development work of the government. They will also spread the prime minister's vision and plans for the future of Bangladesh. The campaigners will also answer questions from the voters and will spread the party’s statement countering the negative propaganda spread by the opposition. Ruling party leaders relevant to this programme feel it will help the voters take a decision.

A focal point has been appointed to coordinate the entire initiative. The central call centre will help the campaigners with information. Besides, a team of modern tech experts will coordinate the entire programme.

Although there is not much time before the election, the organisers want to hold around 3000 training workshops before the election. It would need 30-40 training programmes per day.
Speaking regarding this, Kabir Bin Anwar told Prothom Alo, “If we can convince people about Sheikh Hasina’s achievements, then they will go to the polling centres and will vote for Awami League. This is why we have taken the initiative to reach out every voter.”

“This will increase the voter turnout,” he added.