Jamaat ameer ends North campaign with focuses on agro-industry, rivers

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman yesterday concluded a two-day campaign tour of northern Bangladesh, highlighting agro-based industrial development and river management as key priorities for the region ahead of the 13th national parliamentary election.

Saturday's rallies, stretching from Gaibandha to Pabna, were marked by larger crowds, sharper rhetoric and a clearer articulation of Jamaat's vision for the region, which the party repeatedly described as 'chronically neglected but nationally indispensable.'

At Bogura's historic Altafunnesa ground, thousands gathered as Dr Shafiqur Rahman pledged to upgrade the district into a city corporation and establish a public university if the 10-party alliance voted to power. 

Calling Bogura the heartbeat of North Bengal, he said decentralised development was essential to ending Dhaka-centric governance.

Sirajganj to get powdered milk factory, weaving industry revival: Jamaat chief

"We don't want a Bangladesh where opportunities are locked inside the capital," he told the crowd.

"If Allah grants us responsibility, Bogura will become a centre of education, industry and employment for the entire region."

He also renewed his promise to construct a second Jamuna bridge in response to long-standing demands from Bogura and Gaibandha residents, describing connectivity as the backbone of economic justice.

The tone sharpened further in Sirajganj, where the Jamaat chief addressed local economic distress head-on. Speaking at a rally organised by the 10-party alliance, he pledged to establish modern dairy industry in the district.

"Bangladesh spends thousands of crores importing milk powder, while our farmers pour milk onto the streets out of despair," he said. "This injustice will end on Sirajganj's soil."

Shafiqur pledges Bogura city corporation, 2nd Jamuna bridge, Shaheed Chandu Stadium revival

He also promised to revive the district's fading handloom industry by ensuring affordable raw materials, fair market access and global linkages for traditional weavers — an announcement that drew sustained applause from a crowd dominated by small traders and artisans.

For many attendees, the focus on livelihoods struck a chord.

"We are not asking for charity," said Abdul Malek, a dairy farmer from Sirajganj's Shahjadpur. "If there is a factory here, we can survive with dignity."

Earlier in the day, Dr Shafiqur Rahman paid tribute at the grave of July movement's first martyr Abu Sayeed in Rangpur and met his family, a symbolic gesture that party leaders said reflected Jamaat's attempt to link governance promises with moral accountability.

Friday's rallies in Panchagarh, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon and Rangpur laid the foundation for Saturday's momentum. Launching his northern campaign at the Panchagarh, the Jamaat ameer vowed to reopen all closed sugar mills in North Bengal. "Closed mills will reopen, workers will return, and youth will be trained as skilled partners in nation-building," he said.

River restoration emerged as a defining theme in his campaign, where the Jamaat chief promised immediate implementation of the Teesta mega plan if Jamaat comes to power.

Standing before a packed Public Library ground, he declared, "If rivers live, North Bengal will live," accusing past governments of turning riverbeds into 'deserts through corruption and neglect.'

Across rallies, he also alleged that nearly Tk28 lakh crore siphoned abroad over the past 15 years, would be brought back and reinvested in development. 

"This is people's money," he said. "It will be recovered and spent for the people."

Women's safety and participation was also featured across the campaign. Shafiqur rejected allegations that Jamaat would restrict women's public roles. 

"We want women to work, contribute and lead; with dignity and full security ensured by the state," he said.

Among voters, reactions ranged from cautious optimism to outright enthusiasm.

"They are talking about rivers, jobs and industries — things that matter here," said college student Nusrat Jahan in Dinajpur. "Whether they can deliver is another question, but at least the conversation feels relevant."

Observers see Jamaat's North Bengal tour as strategically significant. 

One observer said the emphasis on agro-based industry, connectivity and decentralisation could help Jamaat reframe its electoral identity beyond ideology and into governance.

As Dr Shafiqur Rahman prepares to take his campaign to Dhaka's constituencies on Sunday, including Dhaka-5, Dhaka-6 and Dhaka-7, the two-day North Bengal visit has set the tone for Jamaat's election campaign, with an emphasis on region-specific development promises alongside political messaging.

Whether those promises translate into ballots will be tested in the weeks ahead, but for now, Jamaat has clearly placed North Bengal at the centre of its election push.