Jamaat vows to turn North Bengal into agro-industrial hub if elected: Shafiqur Rahman

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Friday said North Bengal would be transformed into a hub of agro-based industries if his party comes to power.

Addressing a public rally of the ten-party alliance in Panchagarh, he said the region feeds the entire country but has long been neglected. Jamaat, he said, aims to eliminate unemployment in North Bengal by turning citizens—particularly young people—into skilled contributors to national development.

Dr Rahman said Jamaat plans to reopen closed sugar mills and reinstate workers to their jobs.

Stressing that the party does not depend on any special “card,” he told supporters, “You—brothers and sisters—are our only strength.”

He said Jamaat seeks to empower both men and women and build Bangladesh collectively like a family. “We were, we are, and we will remain with the people of Bangladesh through every challenge. We will fight together,” he added.

The Jamaat chief said five years would be sufficient to change the face of North Bengal, noting that the region’s fertile land and hardworking population leave no justification for continued underdevelopment.

On healthcare, he said many patients die while travelling long distances to Dhaka for quality treatment. If Jamaat comes to power, he pledged, a medical college would be established in every district, including Panchagarh.

He also vowed to prevent the misuse of public funds and said Jamaat would make every effort to honour the sacrifices of July warriors and freedom fighters, even if those sacrifices could never be fully repaid.