Jamaat's Shafiqur addresses 60 rallies in 20 days, stresses welfare state and women's safety
The campaign was formally launched on 22 January from his Dhaka constituency, followed by a countrywide tour beginning in Panchagarh and covering northern, central, and southern districts.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman is set to conclude a nationwide campaign tomorrow morning (10 February), bringing to a close the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance's field operations ahead of the 13th national election and the referendum on state reforms.
Over a 20-day campaign, Shafiqur addressed more than 60 rallies across all divisions in 20 days, emerging as the alliance's principal campaign figure. His speeches framed the election as a critical juncture for systemic reform and welfare-oriented governance, referring to the vision of a "New Bangladesh".
The campaign was formally launched on 22 January from his Dhaka constituency, followed by a countrywide tour beginning in Panchagarh and covering northern, central, and southern districts. Following the rallies Shafiqur addressed in Dhaka today (9 February), the electioneering will officially end at 7:30am tomorrow.
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At rallies, he introduced alliance candidates, distributed party symbols, and urged voters to end the concentration of political power among elites.
Several rallies drew large crowds. Analysts say Jamaat has remained organisationally active at the grassroots despite political setbacks in recent years and is now positioning itself as a competitive force.
They also consider recent victories by its student wing, Chhatra Shibir, in several university student union elections as indicative of organisational strength.
A notable feature of the campaign was Shafiqur's clear endorsement of a 'Yes' vote in the referendum on state reforms. While some parties avoided taking a position, he described the referendum as central to restructuring the political system.
Speaking in Barishal, he said the referendum vote would reflect public opinion on the proposed reforms and their linkage to recent protest movements.
Amid concerns over Jamaat's stance on women's rights, party leaders highlighted commitments to women's security and workforce participation.
At a rally in Dinajpur, Shafiqur said ensuring safety at home and in workplaces would be a priority and that opportunities would be created for women based on their skills.
On economic policy, Jamaat proposed a technology-driven agricultural transformation focused on northern districts, including implementation of the Teesta Master Plan and the establishment of food-processing hubs.
Shafiqur also outlined plans for tax reform, job creation through SMEs and high-tech industries, and rejected unemployment stipends in favour of employment-based support.
The party's manifesto, unveiled on 4 February, pledges to raise education spending to 5% of GDP, reform higher education through employment-linked curricula, and introduce universal healthcare through a Health Card and insurance system.
It also proposes a Truth and Healing Commission to address past human rights violations.
With campaigning concluded and the silence period underway, attention now turns to whether the alliance's extensive outreach and reform agenda will translate into electoral support.
