Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has outlined a comprehensive cultural agenda in its election manifesto, pledging to frame cultural activities in line with the beliefs, customs and values of the people, while discouraging what it described as “unwanted changes” and cultural domination over any religion.
According to the manifesto, the party plans to formulate a national cultural policy covering cultural activities, art, music, literature and related fields. Under this policy, a national cultural fund would be established to promote film, drama, music, art and literature.
The manifesto also promises initiatives to protect and develop 26 remote and minority languages. An impartial expert team would be formed to evaluate cultural rights and linguistic hierarchies, and based on their recommendations, steps would be taken to ensure the practice and preservation of each language. The party said cultural centres would be developed to support speakers of these languages.
To strengthen attachment to national history and heritage, Jamaat said respect and love for history and culture would be promoted through curriculum inclusion from the primary level. The manifesto emphasises encouraging interest in the Bengali language and culture, including increased use of Bengali on the packaging of domestically produced goods.
The party also pledged to provide national recognition to writers and artists based on their contributions, with awards and honours aimed at boosting their morale and encouraging creative work.
As part of historical preservation, Jamaat announced plans for a national initiative to document and publish the complete history of the country, from ancient times to the present. It also said steps would be taken to highlight the identity and contributions of historical figures included in educational materials.
The manifesto further proposes producing films based on historical events of different religions, aimed at promoting understanding of religious and cultural history.
In addition, Jamaat said it would make it mandatory to observe certain historically significant days to commemorate national monuments and events, citing March 25 as an example of a day to be observed specially.
The cultural agenda forms part of Jamaat-e-Islami’s broader election manifesto ahead of the upcoming national polls.