Demand raised for declaring Jessore a division

Jessore, the oldest district in the country, is always deprived of development benefits and executive status it deserves, speakers told a press conference in the capital's Reporters' Unity yesterday, and demanded that the district be declared a division comprising  Jessore, Magura, Jhenidah, Narail, Chuadanga, Meherpur and Kushtia.

Greater Jessore Samity in Dhaka and Jessore Division Movement Committee jointly organised the press conference.

Speakers also lambasted government's move to add Magura to the newly announced Faridpur division.       

"It is time to end negligence, which the district has long been enduring. Declaration of a division, which has become the heartfelt demand of its people, is the only healing for the deprivation," said Kazi Rofiqul Islam, the organisation's general secretary.

"With the great contribution to the Liberation War in 1971, Jessore is the first independent district in Bangladesh," he added.    

"Having been established in 1781, the district possesses all potentials for culture, economy, communication, agriculture and industrialisation, and to be a division," said Jamal Uddin Ahmad, vice president of the Samity.