Assalamu alaikum and Good morning to all; also a happy New Year

Distinguished Members of the Diplomatic Community, Political Leaders, Industry Leaders, Business Leaders, Esteemed Academics, Civil Society Leaders, Journalists, my colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you all for joining us today at this important moment in Bangladesh’s national journey. As you all know, Bangladesh approaches another national election on February 12th. We are here today to have the privilege to present the policy and vision for the new and prosperous Bangladesh we aspire to.

Let me start by thanking all of you for gracing us with your presence here today at what is the first ever Policy Summit of our political party, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. It gives me great pleasure to have the honour of addressing all of you. It is a real privilege for me.

We are here today to talk about the future of these blessed lands that we call Bangladesh. It is a country that has a people that have been tested again and again throughout our history and we have never been found to be wanting.

We are the country of hope above despair, democracy over tyranny and partnership over isolation.

As the whole world is aware, in 2024 during what has been termed the ‘Monsoon Revolution’, the citizens of Bangladesh, led by our young people, declared the end of the autocratic rule of the former regime and once again we freed ourselves.

We had faced over 15 years of authoritarian rule of the previous regime under which we saw the most horrific torture of opponents, repression of political freedoms, mismanagement of the economy on a mass criminal scale and the systemic dismantling of democratic structures.

My party, Jamaat-e-Islami, alongside so many others, paid a heavy price for opposing autocracy and tyranny, with our leaders murdered and our voices suppressed for speaking out in favor of democracy and freedom of speech.

In August 2024, the people of Bangladesh said enough is enough, with our brave students and young people leading the fight for freedom once again.

Too many of our young people suffered at the hands of a regime that was determined to extinguish our democratic hopes, with approximately 2000 killed and over 24,000 critically injured and became crippled during the uprising. But as is always the eventual outcome, the light of freedom and democracy overcame the darkness of oppression. The people of Bangladesh once again prevailed.

We are so very proud that our current interim government because they are trying to lead the country in a just way. But we also now stand again at a crossroads, where we still face significant challenges in rebuilding our country as the beacon of democracy, prosperity and security in our region.

I want to address some of those challenges today and outline the vision of my party in terms of what we see as the bright future of a renewed Bangladesh.
A Bangladesh reborn. A Bangladesh renewed. A new Bangladesh.
You will have seen the words “Aspiring Bangladesh” all around you.

We want Bangladesh to aspire to be a modern market economy that also believes in social justice and where no citizen is left behind. We want a country that aspires to putting national sovereignty first and also is a responsible and active regional and global partner. We want a nation that aspires to putting technology and innovation at the heart of unstoppable economic prosperity and also believes in an interconnected world where values and principles still matter.

We want to rebuild a new Bangladesh that stands on the pillars of pluralist democratic values on which our country was founded. My party believes that only through democracy and free, fair and transparent elections can we move forward as a country.

But what we need now more than ever before is a vision for the country which is backed by tangible concrete actions which transforms our Bangladesh and delivers for our people, for our citizens.

Over the course of today, you will be hearing from some of the best and brightest minds in our country about the policy and delivery action framework of our party, Jamaat-e-Islami, on how to transform our country and to give Bangladeshis back their country and the future they deserve. What you will hear throughout today is a concrete and ambitious policy framework for effective and citizen-centric governance that embraces technology, innovation and transformation.

We are keen to see essential reforms and transformation take place as soon as possible to undo almost two decades of damage to our democratic and economic institutions. It is therefore essential that the upcoming elections on 12 February are the most free, fair and transparent that the country has ever seen, and which have been denied to the people of Bangladesh for almost 20 years.

Let me also make clear that our party will be voting and campaigning for yes in the concurrent referendum. Yes to reforms. Yes to the July Charter. Yes to a new and renewed prosperous Bangladesh.

But elections are only the beginning.

What we require now is a new national political consensus on what a new Bangladesh will look like, and to guarantee democratic freedoms and the rule of law for every citizen of the country.
Our pledge to the country is that we will work with any political party that commits to three basic fundamentals; rooting out corruption, promoting social justice and driving forward essential reforms to build a governance system that the people of Bangladesh can be proud of and that relentlessly delivers for them.

For us, governance means service to the people. If we are given the opportunity, we will govern as the servants of the people and we will always honor this sacred trust.

As mainstream Muslim democrats, we have participated in every free and fair election throughout the decades, whether that is at a national or local level. And we look forward to continuing to do so.

In building a new Bangladesh, the role of women is absolutely vital. As you will be aware, women are already completely integrated in Bangladesh's economy - an estimated 37 percent are in the formal work force.

I am proud that this is one of the highest rates in South Asia and my party is determined to help grow this number further and faster than ever before. But in order to do this, we have to also ensure that Bangladeshi girls and young women have equal access to education from primary to university level.

I am proud that women make up 43% of my party’s membership. My party is fully committed to creating opportunities across our country so no girl is left behind and that they are able to fulfil their full potential as equal citizens in the new Bangladesh. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with anyone who believes in equal opportunity for all.

We also want to work closely with our international partners in rebuilding Bangladesh as a thriving and prosperous modern market economy.

Bangladesh is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and as one of the youngest populations globally, the opportunities for trade and mutual growth are endless. Our young people will remain our engine for growth and prosperity with youth employment as a key strand of our governance framework.

My party believes that through trade and participation in the global economy can Bangladesh achieve its true potential as an economic leader in our region.

In that, our partners across the world can help by showing confidence in the new Bangladesh that we are building by investing and by partnering with us in creating employment opportunities for our young people.

This in turn also brings mutual economic benefits to foreign investors, with guarantees of a transparent and open economy in the new Bangladesh.

This will not only help the global economy but also address challenges around migration and which I know also concerns partners across the world.

My party is determined to build a modern welfare system driven by the engine of growth. We are drawing inspiration for this from many parts of the world and which we can learn from.

We will promote agricultural development and food security, driving projects that empower farmers, increase productivity, and establish food security.

In industrial growth we will promote policies that revitalize local and global industries, create jobs, and promoted economic growth, whilst integrating into the global economy.

We will champion initiatives for small and medium-sized businesses, opening doors for local entrepreneurs and bolstering Bangladesh’s industrial base, with opportunities created for FDI.

We have already made clear that we will stand strongly behind any efforts to ensure that no future government in Bangladesh will be able to subvert the economic system and state resources for their own gain. Prosperity can only be built on internationally recognized norms of transparency.

But a prosperous modern and new Bangladesh can only exist where all citizens, regardless of their faith, gender, creed or race, are treated as equals.

My party is proud that we stand as defenders of every Bangladeshi citizen and their rights.
It is not only our responsibility to protect the rights of minorities but actually an obligation and sacred duty, whether they be Hindus, Buddhists, Christians or any other faith.

I am so very proud that my party has over 500,000 members from other faith communities who stand together to make our country stronger.

In all of this, we want the new Bangladesh to be a strong, reliable and trustworthy partner in our region and globally.

Finally, I shall finish where I started, which is with a message of hope from our new Bangladesh.

As you will see from our policy action plans for governance, our politics is not of division but of hope, healing and unity.

Hope for a better future. Hope for a country that lights the way for others.
Hope for a country where everyone is equal.

That is what my party promises today and every day. Please join us in making that promise a reality.

I am specially giving thanks to those intellectuals and resource persons who are going to make this summit fruitful and again thanking you all who have attended and honored our invitation here. We are really grateful to you. Please we unite together locally, regionally and globally for a prosperous Bangladesh and for a move forward.

Thank you very much.