Jamaat unveils 41-point manifesto, pledges 'significant female representation' in cabinet
The manifesto focuses on ensuring a safe environment for women, the healthy development of children, and bringing about a transformative improvement in the lives of farmers, says Shafiqur
Highlights:
- A total of 41-point manifesto
- Priority given to 26 points
- Title: 'A safe and humane Bangladesh's manifesto'
- Manifesto pledges women's inclusion, justice, economic reforms
- State funding proposed for political parties
- Youth empowerment, corruption-free governance prioritised
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami today (4 February) unveiled its election manifesto ahead of the upcoming national polls, pledging to include a significant number of women in the cabinet if voted to power.
Jamaat also promised to introduce state funding for political parties contesting the parliamentary election, with annual allocations to be provided from the national treasury in proportion to the number of seats and votes secured.
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The pledge comes after the circulation of a screenshot of a post from Shafiqur Rahman's verified X account that began spreading on social media recently. The post has since been deleted, with Jamaat claiming the account had been hacked.
Although Jamaat has not fielded any female candidates in the upcoming election, other parties within the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance have nominated women candidates.
Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman and Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar formally unveiled the party's election manifesto, titled "A safe and humane Bangladesh's manifesto" at a city hotel in the capital.
The 41-point manifesto – with priority given to 26 points – also promises a safe and dignified working environment for women. It states that during maternity, working hours will be reduced to five hours per day with the mother's consent.
Addressing the programme, Shafiqur Rahman said the country must come before any party, and a party before any individual, adding that the opposite had been practised over the last 54 years.
"We would not have had a map without 1947. Without that map, we would not have fought in 1971. And without the state achieved in 1971, we would not have had the opportunity to repair it in 2024. So each of these is interconnected," he said.
He said the party's manifesto focuses on ensuring a safe environment for women, the healthy development of children, and bringing about a transformative improvement in the lives of farmers.
Shafiqur also said his party does not seek to form a partisan government or celebrate Jamaat's victory alone.
"We do not want Jamaat's victory; we want the victory of the 18 crore people of the country. We do not want family-based politics," he said.
Referring to criticism and personal attacks against him, he said, "Missiles have been launched at me from all sides... Those who engaged in character assassination, I have forgiven them."
Stressing that retaliation does not align with his values, he added, "Politics of revenge has ruined us. We want to practise a new kind of politics and move forward together with the youth."
According to the manifesto, priority has been given to national interest, safeguarding independence, sovereignty; establishing a discrimination-free, just and humane state; empowering youth and prioritising them in governance; and ensuring a safe, dignified and participatory state for women.
The manifesto also emphasises improving law and order to build a drug-, extortion- and terror-free society, establishing honest leadership and institutional reforms to eliminate corruption, and building a technology-driven modern society with large-scale employment across technology, manufacturing, agriculture and industry.
It further pledges merit-based recruitment and free application for government jobs, comprehensive reforms in the banking and financial sectors to restore confidence and create a transparent, investment- and business-friendly economy, and ensuring a strong and functional democracy through proportional representation elections and a strengthened caretaker government system.
The manifesto promises justice for what it described as state-backed killings, extrajudicial actions of the past, protection of fundamental human rights, preservation of the July Uprising's history, and rehabilitation of families of martyrs and injured July fighters.
Other priorities include a technology-led agricultural revolution, ensuring fully adulteration-free food security by 2030, implementing the "three zero" vision – zero environmental degradation, zero pollution and zero flood risk – to build a green and clean Bangladesh, and promoting industrialisation through the development of small and medium enterprises alongside heavy industries.
It also highlights fair wages, improved living standards and safe working environments, particularly for women; guaranteeing expatriates' voting rights and participation in nation-building; ensuring equal citizenship rights beyond majority-minority divisions; and providing special support to disadvantaged groups.
The manifesto further commits to universal healthcare system, phased free advanced treatment for the poor, fundamental reforms in education with gradual introduction of free education, keeping commodity prices within purchasing capacity, ensuring full provision of basic necessities, overhauling transport systems to reduce travel time between Dhaka and divisional cities to two to three hours, affordable housing for lower- and middle-income families.
Priority has been given in prevention of the resurgence of fascist systems through continued reforms and trials, introducing a universal social security system, and establishing a transparent, accountable welfare state.
Senior party leaders, including Nayeeb-e-Ameer and former MP ANM Shamsul Islam, and other central leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, were present at the event.
A large number of foreign diplomats also attended the programme. They included ambassadors, high commissioners and representatives from the United States, United Kingdom, China, Pakistan, Turkey, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Australia, Italy, Singapore, Maldives, Iran, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, South Korea, Switzerland, Spain, Brazil, Bhutan, Brunei, Kosovo and the Vatican, as well as representatives of the European Union.
Representatives from international and multilateral organisations were also present, including the United Nations, UNDP, International Republican Institute (IRI), National Democratic Institute (NDI), Democracy International and the International Labour Organization (ILO).
In addition, leaders of various political parties, senior journalists, academics, business leaders and prominent professionals from different sectors attended the manifesto unveiling ceremony.
