Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman has claimed that North Bengal has been intentionally treated poorly and treated like a “stepbrother” since the independence of Bangladesh.
The Jamaat chief, who is also a candidate for the Dhaka-15 constituency, expressed his vision to establish North Bengal as the “capital of agro-based industries.”
Speaking as the chief guest at a public rally organised by a 10-party electoral alliance at the Panchagarh Sugar Mill ground on Friday, Shafiqur asserted that five years is a sufficient period to transform the country.
Vision for regional development
Shafiqur lamented the environmental decay in the region, noting that four major rivers have been left devastated. “If the country had proper guardians, these rivers would not have died,” he remarked.
He made several key pledges during his speech, including the establishment of medical colleges in all 64 districts of the country. Addressing financial corruption, he vowed that all money laundered abroad during previous regimes would be brought back to the national treasury.
He further emphasised that Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and activists did not flee the country even during times of extreme hardship and stated they would not do so in the future.
Highlighting the role of the younger generation, the Ameer stated that the work of the youth is not yet finished. He urged them to prevent “vote robbery” and ensure that no “miscreants” are allowed to return to power.
Social and political philosophy
Shafiqur sought to distinguish his party’s approach to governance, claiming they do not rely on political “cards.”
“You (the people) are our cards. We want a card of love in your hearts,” he said, adding that the party aims to build a Bangladesh free from unemployment and debt where no citizen has to live on the charity of others.
He also took a stand against the misuse of public funds, stating, “We will not engage in ostentatious displays of wealth using the taxpayers’ money”.
Concluding his speech, Shafiqur challenged the traditional geographical narrative of the country.
While the common phrase is “Teknaf to Tetulia,” he argued that the “tide of development” often fails to reach the north from the south. Consequently, he proposed a new perspective: “Tetulia to Teknaf.”
