Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur  Rahman today said the northern region [N-region] of the country has been  deliberately kept backward since independence and pledged to transform it  into an agro-based industrial capital to ensure employment for all. Photo : BSS

PANCHAGARH, Jan 23, 2026(BSS) - Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur 
Rahman today said the northern region [N-region] of the country has been 
deliberately kept backward since independence and pledged to transform it 
into an agro-based industrial capital to ensure employment for all.

"The people of northern Bangladesh were not poor by nature but were made poor 
through long-standing neglect and discriminatory policies. Despite being a 
major contributor to the country's food and nutrition supply, the region was 
intentionally deprived of balanced development," he told the rally of 10-
party alliance at the Panchagarh Sugar Mill ground this noon.

Dr Rahman said Jamaat-e-Islami aims to eliminate unemployment in the northern 
districts by creating dignified job opportunities and empowering citizens as 
productive contributors to nation-building. He announced plans to revive 
closed sugar mills in the region to bring workers back into employment and 
strengthen agro-based industries.

He stressed that Jamaat does not believe in welfare dependent on public 
taxes, but rather in building a system where both men and women are empowered 
through skills and employment to build the country together. 

Referring to development imbalance, he said previous slogans failed to ensure 
equitable growth and that future development would prioritise balance from 
Tetulia to Teknaf.

Jamaat Chief also expressed concern over the deteriorating condition of major 
rivers in the northern region, including the Teesta, Dharla, Brahmaputra and 
Karatoa, attributing their degradation to mismanagement and negligence. 

He criticised political practices where leaders engage with people only 
during election periods, saying such politics has no real connection with 
grassroots communities.

Dr Rahman reiterated that Jamaat-e-Islami has stood beside the people even 
during times of national hardship and vowed to continue standing with them in 
the future. 

He also said the party remains indebted to families of martyrs, the July 
movement activists and the heroes of the Liberation War, pledging efforts to 
honour that responsibility if given the opportunity to form the government.

At the end of the rally, candidates of the 10-party alliance for Panchagarh-1 
and Panchagarh-2 constituencies were formally handed over their election 
symbols. Alliance leaders called on activists to work tirelessly, with full 
dedication, until victory is achieved.