Photo: Collected
He spent the whole of his childhood and adolescence in the bustling environment of Thakurgaon town. Boro Math, the centre of the town, lies right next to his house. The town whose every lane, market, neighbourhood and road he knows like the back of his hand is today abuzz around him. Tomorrow, Sunday, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is setting foot in his birthplace Thakurgaon for the first time as president. A festive mood prevails across Thakurgaon centring on his arrival.
Arches are being erected in some places, while preparations for illumination are under way in others. The busyness of the administration’s officials and employees has multiplied to receive the president. Political leaders and activists too seem to have no time to breathe. Municipality workers are toiling day and night to give the town a sparkling and tidy look. All in all, Thakurgaon has got ready to welcome its beloved person as president for the first time. Every road in the town now awaits the arrival of President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. Alongside the administrative bustle, added interest and enthusiasm have also arisen in the minds of ordinary people.
For the first time since assuming the office of president, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is setting foot in his home district Thakurgaon on an official visit next Sunday and Monday. The interest of ordinary people surrounding this state visit seems even more emotional than the various preparations of the administration.
To many, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is a familiar face of national politics, while to some he is a long-experienced politician. But to many people of Thakurgaon he is still that ever-familiar ‘Alamgir Sir’ – a dear one of their own town. So his return to his own soil, drawn by his roots after taking on the office of president, is not just a state visit to the people of Thakurgaon, but at the same time a moment mingled with pride, joy, love and deep emotion.
According to the president’s tour schedule signed by Abul Kalam Md Lutfor Rahman, on the first day of the visit, that is, at 10am on Sunday, President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will set out for Thakurgaon by helicopter. He is scheduled to land at the Thakurgaon Mohammad Ali Stadium ground at around 11:40am. From there he will then leave for the district Circuit House, where he will be given a guard of honour.
After that he will go to the family graveyard at Senua Para in the town and offer ziarat at the graves of his father, former minister the late Mirza Ruhul Amin (Chokha Mia), and his mother Fatema Begum.
After completing the ziarat at the graves, President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will go to his own residence at Kalibari in the town. After lunch and some rest there, in the afternoon he will be present at the big ground of Thakurgaon Government Boys’ High School, where a reception has been organised at the initiative of the citizens’ committee. Preparations are under way for the presence of people of various classes and professions of the district at this event.
After the reception, he will return to his residence and hold courtesy meetings with distinguished persons, relatives and local residents. He is supposed to spend the night at that residence.
On the second day of the visit, the president will lay the foundation stone of the proposed ‘Thakurgaon University’ in the Jamalpur area of Sadar upazila adjacent to the Thakurgaon-Pirganj road. After completing this, he will return to his residence, have lunch and take rest. Later he will go to the Circuit House. Finally, he will leave Thakurgaon for Dhaka by helicopter, the schedule mentions.
Meanwhile, security measures have been further strengthened across the entire district centring on this visit of the president. Members of the Special Security Force (SSF), the President Guard Regiment (PGR) and various intelligence agencies assigned to his security are working at the field level. Additional security measures have been taken at the probable venues of the visit, the routes of movement and important areas.
Convener of the president’s reception committee Dr Abu Md Khairul Kabir said, ‘He is not only the president, he is a son of our own Thakurgaon. After a long time, he is returning to his own people while holding the highest constitutional office of the state. It is a moment of immense pride and emotion for us. We want the people of Thakurgaon to receive him with love and respect.’
District BNP President Mirza Faisal Amin said this first arrival of Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in his home district Thakurgaon as president is a matter of joy, pride and emotion for the people of the district. He has a long-standing cordial relationship with the people of Thakurgaon. He further said widespread enthusiasm and excitement are being noticed among people of all classes in the district surrounding this visit of the president.
Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Mohammad Rafiqul Haque said all necessary preparations have already been taken on behalf of the district administration ahead of the two-day visit of the honourable president on 6 and 7 September. Work is being carried on in coordination with the offices and agencies concerned and the law enforcement agencies with the aim of carrying out every programme of the visit in a proper, orderly and uninterrupted manner.
Thakurgaon Superintendent of Police (SP) Md Belal Hossain said, ‘The highest level of security measures has been taken in Thakurgaon centring on this two-day visit of the president. Every programme of his visit, the routes of travel and the important places have been brought under security coverage.’
He further said that, alongside deploying the necessary number of members of the law enforcement agencies in these areas, the overall situation is being monitored. Along with ensuring the president’s security, the matter of maintaining the normal movement of ordinary people and the overall law and order situation centring on his visit is also being looked at with importance. The security plan is being implemented in coordination with all the forces and intelligence agencies concerned.
