Not thinking about contesting polls
Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, yesterday said he would not contest the next parliamentary election but would help the Awami League in electioneering to ensure the party’s victory. “Keep watching. We are going to unveil our new campaign strategies after three days. I have come home to help the party in election campaigns,” he told an informal view-exchange meeting with a group of journalists at the AL president’s political office in Dhanmondi.
AL sources said Joy will visit several districts including Gazipur next week as part of his polls campaigns across the country. During the visits, he might talk to people like street vendors and farmers to get first-hand information about the AL’s position.
Joy said the crux of the party’s new strategies would be countering the BNP-Jamaat’s propaganda and highlighting the government’s successes.
Leaders and workers of the AL have already been instructed to conduct door-to-door campaigns, he mentioned adding that there is a plan to run campaigns in the social media and to make this happen, 300 Facebook pages for as many party candidates would be opened.
The party, he noted, will focus on the publicity campaigns ahead of the next general election as “development work alone doesn’t fetch votes.”
“My mother [Sheikh Hasina] had thought that people see the government’s performance and development work when they vote. But now it seems votes don’t come only for the performance. Votes can be bagged even without doing much work. Therefore, we will focus on publicity,” said the prime minister’s son.
The opposition parties can easily mount propaganda campaigns, but it is hard for the ruling party to counter those.
However, he added, because of recent activities and speeches by the AL leaders and ministers, the anti-government propaganda over Hefajat-e Islam seems to have lessened.
Joy hoped that the AL would come to power again as people would “definitely vote for the party that believes in the country’s freedom and development”.
He urged the journalists to debunk the opposition’s propaganda and make a comparison between the present AL and past BNP-Jamaat governments so that people could decide which party to vote for.
AL leader Mrinal Kanti Das, prime minister’s Special Assistant (media) Mahbubul Hoque Shakil and Deputy Press Secretary Ashraful Alam Khokon were present.
A member of the Awami League, Joy does not hold any party post.
-With The Daily Star input
