Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami held its “Policy Summit 2026” today, 20 January, at 9:00 a.m. in the ballroom of Hotel InterContinental in the capital. At the Policy Summit, various policy initiatives aimed at building a new Bangladesh were announced through multiple panel discussions.
Announced Points of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s “Policy Summit-2026” are as follows:
1. A zero-tolerance policy against corruption will be adopted.
2. Taxes and VAT (Value Added Tax) will be gradually reduced from the current rates, with a long-term target of bringing tax down to 19 percent and VAT to 10 percent.
3. A Smart Social Security Card will be introduced (combining NID, TIN, health, and social services into a single card).
4. Gas, electricity, and water charges for all industries will not be increased over the next three years.
5. Closed factories will be reopened under Public-Private Partnership, and 10% ownership will be allocated to workers.
6. Business-friendly policies will be formulated, and a simplified licensing system will be introduced.
7. Interest-free loan facilities will be provided for small and medium farmers.
● Education-related :
8. Up to 500,000 graduates will be provided with interest-free loans (Qard-e-Hasana) of up to BDT 10,000 per month for a maximum period of two years, from graduation until employment.
9. Based on merit and need, 100,000 students will receive interest-free education loans of BDT 10,000 per month.
10. Every year, 100 students will be given interest-free education loans to study at the world’s top universities, ensuring that talented students from poor families can study at Harvard, MIT, Oxford, and Cambridge.
11. Eden College, Begum Badrunnesa College, and Home Economics College will be merged to establish the world’s largest women’s university.
12. Large colleges under the National University will be transformed into universities.
13. All recruitment will be merit-based.
● Healthcare-related :
14. Free healthcare services will be provided for senior citizens above 60 years of age and children below 5 years.
15. Sixty-four specialized hospitals will be established in all 64 districts.
16. Under the “First Thousand Days Program,” primary healthcare and nutrition security for mothers and children—from pregnancy until a child reaches two years of age—will be brought under the social security framework.
● Plans for Youth:
17. A new ministry will be established for skilled manpower development and job placement.
18. Ten million youths will be provided with market-oriented skill training within five years.
19. A “Youth Tech Lab” for graduates will be established in every upazila.
20. By forming a “District Job Youth Bank” in every district, access to 5 million jobs will be ensured within five years.
21. Five hundred thousand entrepreneurs will be created, prioritizing women, youth, and marginalized communities.
22. One and a half million freelancers will be developed.
23. Suitable skill development programs will be launched for low-educated youth.
● ICT and Vision 2040:
24. “Vision 2040” will be announced for the development of the ICT sector.
25. By 2030, two million ICT jobs will be created and placed.
26. A National Payment Gateway will be established for freelancers and digital exports.
27. A target will be set to earn USD 50 billion in export revenue from the ICT sector.
28. A target will be set to save USD 15 billion in government expenditure in the ICT sector.
29. A goal will be set to transform the economy from a labor-dependent model to a knowledge-based economy.
● Remittance-related :
30. Remittance earnings will be increased two to three times within 5–7 years through skilled manpower.
31. In addition to financial remittances, expatriate Bangladeshi professionals, researchers, and teachers will be brought back to the country as “intellectual remittance.”
The Policy Summit was attended by ambassadors from various countries, top leaders of political parties, intellectuals, academics, prominent editors and journalist leaders, researchers, professionals, and other distinguished individuals.
Ambassadors, high commissioners, and diplomats from the United States, United Kingdom, China, India, Pakistan, Kosovo, Turkey, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Brunei, Australia, Italy, Denmark, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Maldives, Iran, Canada, Palestine, Afghanistan, Libya, Algeria, the European Union, France, Germany, Japan, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, South Korea, Bhutan, Thailand, Switzerland, Spain, Brazil, the United Nations, UNDP, IRI, and other countries and international organizations were present.
Besides, Jamaat-e-Islami's Nayeb-e-Ameer Dr. Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher and Maulana A.N.M. Shamsul Islam; Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar; Assistant Secretary Generals Maulana ATM Masum, Maulana Rafiqul Islam Khan, Dr. Hamidur Rahman Azad, Maulana Abdul Halim, and Advocate Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair; and Central Executive Council members Saiful Alam Khan Milon and Mobarak Hossain attended the summit.
Among others, Distinguished Fellow and first Executive Director of CPD Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya; Supreme Court's senior lawyer Shahdeen Malik; former Member of Parliament Major (Retd.) Akhtaruzzaman; Member (Administration) of Ibn Sina Trust Professor Dr. AKM Sadrul Islam; Editor of The Daily Star Mahfuz Anam; veteran editor Abul Asad; Editor of Daily Naya Diganta Salauddin Babar; Editor of The New Nation Mokarram Hossain; President of DUJ and Editor of Daily Manabkantha Mohammad Shahidul Islam; Executive Editor of Prothom Alo Sajjad Sharif; DUJ General Secretary Khurshid Alam; and leaders from various media organizations were also present on the occasion.
