Manifesto Unveiled: Jamaat pledges vital female presence in cabinet
Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Wednesday evening unveiled its election manifesto for the upcoming 13th parliamentary election, pledging to build a “safe, humane and justice-based Bangladesh” through wide-ranging political, economic and institutional reforms.
The manifesto was announced at a programme held at the Sheraton Hotel in Dhaka’s Banani area, where Jamaat Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman formally presented the document.
Diplomats from various countries, leaders of political parties, senior journalists, business figures and professionals from different sectors were present at the event.
The manifesto outlines 26 priority areas for governing the country over the next five years, along with 41 commitments grouped into eight broad sections.
Framed under the slogan “An uncompromising Bangladesh in national interest,” the party pledged to protect sovereignty and national interests while establishing a discrimination-free, humane state based on justice and fairness.
Key priorities include empowering youth in state governance, ensuring a safe and dignified environment for women, improving law and order to eliminate drugs, extortion and terrorism, and building a corruption-free state through honest leadership and institutional reform.
The manifesto also emphasises a technology-driven modern society and large-scale job creation across agriculture, manufacturing, industry and technology sectors, alongside merit-based recruitment and the removal of all forms of discrimination.
On the economy, Jamaat pledged comprehensive reforms of the banking and financial sectors to restore public trust and create a transparent, investment-friendly and sustainable economy.
The party also committed to introducing proportional representation (PR) in elections, strengthening the caretaker government system and ensuring a credible electoral environment to consolidate democracy.
Addressing past abuses, the manifesto promises trials for enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations allegedly carried out with state backing.
It also includes commitments to preserve the history of the July uprising, rehabilitate families of martyrs and those injured or disabled, and implement the July Charter.
The party proposed a “Three Zero Vision” by 2030—zero environmental degradation, zero waste and zero flood risk—along with ensuring food safety free from adulteration.
It also pledged to expand industrialisation, improve workers’ wages and working conditions, ensure safe workplaces for women, and guarantee voting rights and broader participation for expatriate Bangladeshis.
Other promises include universal healthcare with phased free treatment for the poor, fundamental reform of the education system with a long-term goal of free education, keeping prices of essentials within purchasing power, modernising transport networks, providing affordable housing for lower- and middle-income families, and introducing a universal social security system.
Criticising the elections held in 2014, 2018 and 2024, Jamaat described them as “sham polls” that dismantled the electoral system and destroyed voting rights. The party also highlighted years of political repression, enforced disappearances and widespread persecution of opposition groups.
Jamaat leaders said the manifesto was the result of long-term research and careful planning, stressing that it avoids unrealistic or populist promises and instead focuses on implementable short-term goals and long-term state reforms. The document, they said, is grounded in transparency, accountability, competent leadership and people-centric policies aimed at building a prosperous welfare state.
Presenting the manifesto, the party reaffirmed its commitment to uniting people of all religions, regions, genders and professions to build a new Bangladesh based on justice, values and national unity.