Jamalpur is said to be the holy land of Tajkeratul Auliya Hazrat Shah Jamal (RA). River erosion is the main problem of the 2.6 million towns along the mighty rivers Jamuna, Brahmaputra, Jhenai, Jinjiram and Suvarnakhali. The main driving force of the economy is agriculture. There are five constituencies in seven upazilas of the district.
Until now, the people of the district have not been deprived of the taste of the ministry in any of the 12th parliamentary governments. Sometimes full minister, sometimes minister of state, sometimes deputy minister. Even at the same time, several ministers have also gathered in Jamalpur.
However, in continuation of the continuous development of the country, there has not been any comparative change in this district. Despite the progress made in the recent years, there are still large regional disparities.
Among those who became cabinet members in Jamalpur in the last 52 years-
Rashed Musharraf: He was a member of the Provincial Council in the elections of 1970. He became an MP in the parliamentary elections of 1973 in the constituency of erstwhile Mymensingh-2 and now Jamalpur-2 comprising Islampur upazila. Then MP in 1979, 1986 and 1991 and MP in 1996 was appointed Minister of State for Land in Sheikh Hasina's government. Rashed Musharraf was born in 1935 and died on November 10, 2011 at the age of 76.
Abdus Salam Talukdar: He became an MP in the second parliamentary elections of 1979 from Jamalpur-4 (Sarishabari) constituency. He served as Minister of State for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs in President Ziaur Rahman's government and as Minister of State for Law and Justice in President Abdus Satter's cabinet. He again became an MP from the BNP in the 1991 fifth parliamentary election and LGRD minister in the Begum Khaleda Zia government.
Abdus Sattar: Known as MA Sattar Abdus Sattar became an MP for the first time as an independent candidate in the third parliamentary elections of 1986 from Jamalpur-1 (Dewanganj-Bakshiganj) constituency. In 1988, he joined the Jatiya Party (as an MP) for the second time in the fourth parliament and in President Ershad's cabinet, he became Minister of State for Commerce, then Minister of State for Commerce, Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Tourism and later full minister in the same ministry. He also served as Minister for Fisheries and Livestock and Minister of Industries.
Abul Kalam Azad: He became Member of Parliament (MP) four times as Awami League candidate from Jamalpur-1 (Dewanganj-Bakshiganj) constituency in 1991, 1996, 2014 and 2018. He had held various important posts including panel chairman and deputy speaker of the National Assembly. He was appointed Minister for Information and Culture on January 6, 2009 in the Ninth Parliament.
Sirajul Haque: Brave freedom fighter Sirajul Haque became MP from Jamalpur-5 (Sadar) constituency on BNP ticket in the fifth and the sixth parliamentary elections. He was appointed a deputy health minister in Begum Zia's first cabinet in 1991.
Mirza Azam: He has been MP for seven consecutive times from Jamalpur-3 (Melandah-Madarganj) constituency on Awami League nomination. In the Awami League government of 2014, he took charge of the Minister of State for Textiles and Jute. Before that, he was the whip of the national parliament. Under his leadership, there has been unprecedented development in the district.
Maulana Nurul Islam: In 1996, in the seventh parliamentary election, he became an MP defeating the then general secretary of BNP, Abdus Salam Talukdar, in Jamalpur-4 (Sarishabari) constituency.
As a reward, he received the responsibility of Minister of State for Religion in the first cabinet of Sheikh Hasina's government. Nurul Islami was born in 1931 and died in 2018 at the age of 87.
Rezaul Karim Hira: He was defeated in the first election as an independent candidate in Jamalpur-5 (Sadar) constituency in 1991. Later, he was elected MP in 1996, 2001, 2008 and in 2014 on the ticket of Awami League. In 2009, he took charge of the land ministry in Sheikh Hasina's second cabinet.
Major General (Retd) Anwarul Kabir Talukder: He is the grandson of former BNP Secretary General, Barrister Abdus Salam Talukder. In 2001, he became MP for Jamalpur-4 (Sarishabari) constituency on BNP ticket and first served as Minister of State for Finance and Planning in the quadripartite coalition government and later as Minister of State for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources. Later he left the BNP and formed LDP with Colonel Oli Ahmed. Anwarul Kabir Talukder passed away on 10 May 2020 due to coronavirus.
Dr Murad Hasan: In the 9th and 11th National Parliament elections, he became MP twice from Awami League in Jamalpur-4 (Sarishabari) constituency. In the 2018 Awami League cabinet, he first served as Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and later as Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting. He then resigned from the cabinet at the instruction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina due to various scandals.
Faridul Haque Khan Dulal: He became MP for four consecutive terms from Jamalpur-2 (Islampur) constituency in the ninth, tenth, eleventh and the 12thJatiya Sangsad. He became Minister of State for Religion in Sheikh Hasina's fifth cabinet. Although he did not make any significant contributions in his area, he was given the responsibility of full minister in the ministry of religion in the cabinet of the twelfth parliament.
It is claimed that as much as there has been development, there has also been inequality in development. After Abul Kalam Azad was elected, the people of the district dreamed of removing this discrimination and getting him a big ministry. Of course, even if it is not fulfilled, perhaps the Jamalpurites are waiting to see if the Prime Minister has a big surprise.