Polls manifesto unimportant in Bangladesh’s politics

Afsan Chowdhury speaks to DOT : 
Political parties after winning the general election do not implement their electoral pledges. They just follow the way convenient to gain political power. The people, too, do not care about the manifesto.
The importance of a manifesto is very limited. Is it reaching the commoners? How many of the people understand or gets updated about the manifesto. I feel the people hardly think of the manifesto. Are they discussing the Oikya Front manifesto? The media is just analysing the matter. No party has an issue to make pledges such as upgrading villages to towns and ensuring the freedom of the press.
Implementing the pledges is the main issue. We, more or less, have seen the two major parties while in power. We also witnessed what they did for the people. So thinking of the manifesto is worthless. Awali League has pledged providing freedom to the media. If they really want to do so, why did they pass the Digital Security Act?
There is no need to give importance on the manifestos published by the political parties. They people will vote to power them who worked for their development. The parties will not run the polls race in line with their pledges. They are putting promises in respective manifesto. They are just making promises, something that can be considered a box of mockery covered nicely. One cannot understand what is inside such boxes.
Afsan Chowdhury is a journalist, a media professional, a researcher, a social activist.
Based on an interview by Khairul Alam, translated by Sayeed Muhammad.