President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir spoke at a reception ceremony organized at Boromath in Thakurgaon today. Photo: PID

   THAKURGAON, Sept 6, 2026 (BSS) - Residents of northwestern Thakurgaon today hosted a warm reception for President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as he is on a two-day tour to his hometown here, the first after his election as the head of the state last month.

   A huge crowd rallied at Boromath of the district town as a civic reception committee organized the rally in his honour, when he stressed communication, industrialization, employment generation and expanded education facilities for development of Thakurgaon.

  “If the airport in Thakurgaon is reopened, it will facilitate business and trade. But economic activities in the area need to be vibrant to make the airport functional and sustainable,” he said.

   The president regretted that the district in the northwestern tip of the country virtually still did not have any major factory, industry while the people were exposed to joblessness.

   “We hope that very soon we will be able to bring some investors here to establish agro-based industries,” he said expecting the reopening of the currently inoperative airport could develop the communication system and create employment opportunities.

  He recalled that previously the Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh visited Thakurgaon which was followed up by visit of several school children and teachers to China.
  The President expected the Chinese experts and investors to visit Thakurgaon to set up particularly agro-based industries.

   He said agriculture witnessed significant development through the Barendra Multipurpose Development Programme creating scopes for developing agro-based industries in the district.

   But he simultaneously urged entrepreneurs of the district to make united efforts to boost local investment, assuring them of overall cooperation on his behalf.

   The President is set to lay the foundation stone of Thakurgaon University tomorrow as part of the visit schedule.

  “In response to the long-standing demand of the people, the process of establishing a public university (in Thakurgaon) has already advanced,” President Alamgir said.

   He said land for the university was acquired and the price of the land also was paid to the landowners while its vice chancellor was appointed as well by now.

   The President said Thakurgaon was expected to witness the establishment of a medical college in near future as the site of the proposed facility was selected and “I hope student admission process will begin there from next year”.

  He said a sports village would be built in Thakurgaon and new playgrounds would be constructed at the upazila and union levels.

  President Alamgir told the reception that initiatives were underway to construct a modern information complex, a regional office of the National University, a regional cooperative training institute and a technical training centre in the district.

  “We want to work. We want to stay with those who work. We want to encourage and support those who work with honesty to serve the people and for their welfare,” he said.

   He called upon the youth communities to become entrepreneurs and create employment opportunities, and praised women who emerged as entrepreneurs.

   The President also urged the youths to build a strong movement against drugs and directed the district administration and lawmakers elected from the district to make all out efforts to make Thakurgaon a completely drug-free area.

 “Let us build a truly society not-through conflict, confrontation or revenge, but through love and with love. Let us make a society where we will all have the opportunity to move forward,” he said.

  President Alamgir urged political leaders and activists of the district to evade conflicts or confrontations in Thakurgaon adding “carry on your own politics and propagate your ideologies, but do not get involved in conflicts”.

   He said the people of Thakurgaon suffered persecution, arrests and false cases in the past on political grounds, but he expressed hope for establishing the “politics of reconciliation”.

   The President also expressed his resolve to build a humane society based on communal harmony, tolerance and equal rights where the people of Thakurgaon would play a leading role.

  President Alamgir expressed his personal gratitude to his parents, elders and teachers and those who supported him throughout his life and simultaneously acknowledged the role of his wife for standing by him throughout his political life.

   He also remembered Shaheed President and former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, who had fought for a long time to establish democracy.

  Earlier the president arrived in Thakurgaon at around 1 pm today on a two-day visit.

   Convener of the Civic Reception Committee Dr. Abu Md. Khairul Kabir chaired the rally while ESDO Founder and prominent figure of the town Dr Muhammad Shahid Uz Zaman conducted it.

   Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu, State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad, Jatiya Sangsad Whip Md Akhtaruzzaman Mia spoke on the occasion.

   BNP President Mirza Faisal Amin, lawmakers elected from Thakurgaon constituencies Md Abdus Salam and Md Jahidur Rahaman, president’s childhood friend Professor Mantosh Kumar Dey, Thakurgaon district Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Professor Belal Uddin Pradhan also spoke.