Jashore: Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami candidate for Jessore-3 (Sadar) constituency, Md. Abdul Quader, has pledged to make Jashore free from terrorism if elected in the upcoming 13th Jatiya Sangsad polls slated for February 12. In an exclusive interview, he emphasized the need to restore peace and security in the area, which has long been afflicted by terrorism.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Quader highlighted issues such as severe traffic congestion and chronic water-logging in the city, attributing these problems to illegal encroachment and corruption that block the Mukteshwari and Bhairab rivers, thus disrupting natural drainage. If elected, he plans to prioritize dredging these rivers to alleviate water-logging in the district.
Quader’s background includes serving as a former Vice-President of the Islami Chhatra Shibir at Jessore MM College during the 1980-81 academic year. He later moved to Dhaka, where he was involved in the garment production and export business. He has held the position of Rokon in Jamaat-e-Islami’s Dhaka North unit and currently holds the same position in Jashore.
Addressing the election code of conduct, Quader stated his commitment to following the Election Commission’s guidelines and emphasized that he has instructed party leaders and activists to do the same. He expressed his support for the July Charter, noting that Jamaat-e-Islami values the spirit of the July Uprising and is campaigning for a ‘Yes’ vote in the referendum.
Quader expressed his hopes for a free, fair, and festive election, urging all political parties to avoid violence and ensure that voters can cast their ballots safely. He is contesting the polls with Jamaat-e-Islami’s electoral symbol ‘Dari Palla (Scale).’ Other candidates in the Jessore-3 constituency include representatives from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Jatiya Party, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party, and Communist Party of Bangladesh.
The constituency has a total of 613,460 voters, comprising 307,549 male voters, 305,901 female voters, and 10 third-gender voters. There are 190 polling stations across 14 unions and one municipality, with 6,824 voters registered for postal ballots.