Shafiqur Rahman: The Islamist Leader Reshaping Bangladesh's Political Landscape
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Shafiqur Rahman: The Islamist Leader Reshaping Bangladesh's Politics
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CNBC TV18•14-02-2026, 16:54
Shafiqur Rahman: The Islamist Leader Reshaping Bangladesh's Politics
•Shafiqur Rahman, Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, has significantly boosted his party's political influence, securing 77 seats with allies in recent elections.
•Rahman, 68, a trained physician, joined Jamaat-e-Islami in 1984 after initially participating in a leftist student organization.
•He was re-elected Ameer for the 2026–2028 term, having been first elected in 2019, and is credited with appealing to Bangladesh's youth.
•Rahman advocates for a "New Bangladesh" vision, emphasizing technology-driven agriculture, manufacturing, and IT, moving beyond the 1971 Liberation War narrative.
•Jamaat-e-Islami, despite its controversial past, aims for "constructive, peaceful, friendly and cooperative" relations with neighbors, including India, while developing a new National Defense Policy.