Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said he came not to deliver a speech but to bear witness, asserting that North Bengal had been deliberately kept poor since the country’s independence. Speaking as the chief guest at a rally organized by the 10-party electoral alliance at the Panchagarh sugar mill field on Friday afternoon, he pledged to transform the region within five years through collective effort and faith.

Dr. Rahman emphasized creating employment for all citizens and eliminating youth unemployment in the northern districts. He promised to establish specialized hospitals in every district, including Panchagarh, and to recover embezzled funds allegedly siphoned abroad. He also vowed to reopen closed sugar mills and turn North Bengal into the industrial capital of Bangladesh. Calling the people his true strength, he urged vigilance against the return of corrupt elements in new forms.

Other speakers at the rally included Jamaat’s Assistant Secretary General Maulana Abdul Halim, National Citizens Party coordinator Sarjis Alam, and National Democratic Party vice president Rashed Pradhan.