A 24-member citizens’ group was formed on Monday for preparing a national manifesto keeping the upcoming parliamentary election in view.

The group was formed at a dialogue, on ‘National election 2007: Civil society initiative for accountable development efforts’, organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue, Prothom Alo and The Daily Star in in the city. The CPD chairman, professor Rehman Sobhan was made convenor of the group.

The members of the group are: BRAC chairperson, Fazle Hasan Abed, Grameen Bank managing director, Muhammad Yunus, former advisors to the caretaker government, Wahiduddin Mahmud, Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, Moinul Hossain Chowdhury, ASM Shahjahan, former foreign secretary Abul Ahsan, chairman of Transparency International Bangladesh, Samson H Chowdhury, Apex Tannery chairman, Syed Manzur Elahi, Rajshahi University professor, Hasan Azizul Huq, Shahjalal Science and Technology University professor, Mohammad Zafar Iqbal, former attorney general, Mahmudul Islam, Dhaka University professors Anisuzzaman and Mahmuda Islam, Chittagong University professor, Jamal Nazrul Islam, former MCCI president, Laila Rahman Kabir, former BUET vice-chancellor, Iqbal Mahmud, Transcom Group managing director, Latifur Rahman, former finance minister, M Syeduzzaman and Chakma circle chief, Raja Devasish Roy.

The CPD executive director, Debapriya Bhattacharya is the member- secretary of the group.

‘The group will work for preparing a national manifesto, after holding consultation meetings across the country before the upcoming parliament election,’ Debapriya Bhattacharya said at the function. The group will also contribute in preparing election manifestos of the major political parties, he said.

‘We will find out a way to make the manifestos as legally executable agreements between the people and the political parties,’ he added.