Jamaat Claims Favourable Electoral Climate Ahead of Thakurgaon-1 By-Election

Thakurgaon Correspondent: Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has expressed confidence in its 11-party alliance candidate Delawar Hossain ahead of the October 29 by-election in Thakurgaon-1, with senior party leader Maulana Abdul Halim urging alliance members to intensify voter outreach and remain vigilant during voting and ballot counting.“The electoral atmosphere is now in Jamaat’s favour,” Halim said at a meeting of election officials and organisers at the Jamaat district office in Thakurgaon on Wednesday morning. He claimed that voters were inclined to support the alliance candidate, who is contesting with the electoral symbol of the weighing scales.Halim, assistant secretary-general of Jamaat-e-Islami and director of its Rangpur-Dinajpur region, said the party expected Hossain to secure a substantial victory if the election was conducted properly and voters could cast their ballots without obstruction.The meeting was chaired by Thakurgaon district Jamaat Ameer Professor Belal Uddin Pradhan and conducted by district secretary and election director Mohammad Alamgir.Halim said the by-election was not merely a local contest, adding that the party’s central leadership was closely monitoring developments in Thakurgaon. He said senior central leaders would visit the district in phases to campaign for the alliance candidate.Calling for an intensive grassroots campaign, he urged party leaders and activists to reach voters across the constituency and explain their reasons for supporting Hossain.He framed the campaign around public concerns over corruption, extortion, illegal occupation of property and public security, arguing that voters should consider which political leadership could better address these issues.Halim also criticised the government over what he described as the failure to implement the outcome of a referendum, claiming that the situation had contributed to public frustration and a loss of confidence in the administration.He further accused ruling-party supporters of engaging in extortion, land grabbing and mob-related disorder. As an example, he cited the alleged pressure that forced the vice-chancellor of Rajshahi Medical University to resign.These allegations reflected the Jamaat leader’s political assessment and were not independently verified.Election-day security and the integrity of ballot counting featured prominently in Halim’s remarks.He urged party activists to remain alert at polling centres to prevent alleged attempts to interfere with voting or counting. He said voters must be able to cast their ballots freely and that the counting process should accurately reflect the votes cast.The meeting was attended by alliance candidate Delawar Hossain, former Thakurgaon Jamaat Ameer Maulana Abdul Hakim, Dinajpur Jamaat Ameer Anisur Rahman, Panchagarh Jamaat Ameer Professor Iqbal Hossain, and Thakurgaon Jamaat assistant secretary and assistant election director Principal Kafil Uddin Ahmad, among others.Later on Wednesday, the Thakurgaon district chapter of the 11-party alliance held a separate coordination meeting at the Jamaat district office to discuss campaign preparations for the October 29 by-election.The meeting was chaired by Professor Belal Uddin Pradhan, with Halim attending as the chief guest.Addressing the gathering, Halim said the alliance needed a coordinated campaign involving leaders and activists from all participating parties to secure electoral support for Hossain. He called on them to work actively in their respective areas and strengthen contact with voters.Representatives of the alliance parties pledged to continue their campaign efforts in support of the candidate.Those attending included former Thakurgaon Jamaat Ameer Maulana Abdul Hakim; National Citizen Party district convener Md Khalilur Rahman; joint convener Shamsul Islam; member secretary Badiuzzaman, known as Baghu; Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis district president Maulana Said Ahmed Saifi; and other local leaders and activists.Separately, Halim visited the grave of Maulana Mashir Uddin Ahmed, a former Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer in Panchagarh district, on Wednesday afternoon to pay his respects. Ahmed died on September 26.Panchagarh Jamaat Ameer Professor Iqbal Hossain, district Naib-e-Ameer Maulana Mofiz Uddin, district secretary Maulana Delawar Hossain, and the deceased’s eldest son, Shahid Al Islam, a member of the district working committee, were among those present.With the October 29 by-election approaching, Jamaat and its 11-party alliance are focusing on campaign coordination, grassroots mobilisation and polling-centre vigilance. Halim’s remarks underline the party’s stated confidence in its candidate, while the election’s outcome will ultimately be determined by voters and the conduct of the electoral process.