TDS Desk:

Jamaat-e-Islami has unveiled its vision for state governance and the primary concepts of its proposed election manifesto during a day-long “Policy Summit.”

Held on Tuesday at the Hotel InterContinental in Dhaka, the event began at 9am and featured opening and closing remarks by the Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman. Throughout the day, party leaders engaged in several sessions, including Q&A segments, to address various policy issues.

The summit saw a significant international presence. Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair, Jamaat’s assistant secretary general and head of media, confirmed that diplomatic representatives from over 30 countries attended.

These included the UK, USA, EU, China, India, Japan, Germany, France, and South Korea, as well as representatives from Pakistan, Iran, Malaysia, Turkey, Maldives, Brunei, and Sri Lanka.

ECONOMIC AND FISCAL ROADMAP

Jamaat announced a “zero tolerance” policy against corruption as a core pillar of its governance. Key economic targets include a long-term plan to reduce the tax rate to 19% and VAT to 10%.

To provide stability for the industrial sector, the party pledged that the prices of gas, electricity, and water would not be increased for the next three years.

The party also proposed a “Smart Social Security Card”, which would integrate National ID (NID), Tax Identification Number (TIN), health services, and social benefits into a single platform.

INDUSTRY AND AGRICULTURE

To revitalise the industrial sector, Jamaat proposed reopening closed factories through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), with a provision to grant 10% ownership to the workers.

The manifesto outline also includes business-friendly policies, simplified licensing, and interest-free loans for farmers. Additionally, the party committed to the modernisation of the agricultural sector, focusing on increasing productivity and ensuring food security.

EDUCATION AND HEALTH REFORMS

In education, the party plans to provide interest-free loans to 100 meritorious but underprivileged students annually for higher studies at premier global institutions, specifically mentioning Harvard, MIT, Oxford, and Cambridge.

A major institutional proposal involves merging Eden College and Begum Badrunnessa Government Women’s College to create the world’s largest women’s university.

Healthcare commitments include free medical treatment for citizens over 60 and children under five, alongside the establishment of specialised hospitals in every district. The party further emphasised that all public and private sector appointments would be conducted strictly on a merit-based system.

Anti-corruption and minority rights Ameer Shafiqur Rahman and Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher asserted that they would remain uncompromising in ensuring that no future government uses state assets or the economic system for personal or party interests.

They noted that nepotism and looting weaken the state, and that development must be measured by international standards of transparency and accountability.

Regarding social unity, Jamaat leaders described the protection of minority rights as a “religious duty.”

They revealed that the party currently has approximately 500,000 members from the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and other religious communities. They pledged that there would be no compromise on the rights of any citizen, regardless of race, religion, or gender.

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, ICT VISION 2040

To empower the younger generation, the party proposed a new ministry for skill development, aiming to create one crore (10 million) skilled workers and facilitate 50 lakh (5 million) jobs within five years.

Under its “Vision 2040” for the ICT sector, Jamaat targets 20 lakh (2 million) jobs and $5 billion in export earnings by 2030. Furthermore, the party plans to double or triple remittance income over the coming decades by exporting highly skilled manpower.

In his concluding remarks, Ameer Shafiqur Rahman stated his ambition to build Bangladesh into a credible regional and global partner, stressing that the current era is one for unity rather than division to ensure a prosperous future.