Q. Shortly Introduce Yourself To Our Readers; We Would Like To Know A Bit About Your Early Childhood Days.
Although my full name is Gazi Mohammad Shahnawaz, people mostly know me as Milad Gazi. I was born in Debpara of Nabiganj upazilla in Habiganj district. I am a proud son of Mr. Dewan Farid Gazi, who was a key figure in the Anti-British Movement, the Language Movement, the Six-Point Program, and the Liberation War. He was the joint secretary of the Sylhet district Awami League and he also served in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s cabinet. Bangabandhu was very fond of my father and they did politics together for the development of the greater Sylhet area.
My father was significantly involved in politics and spent busy days doing political and philanthropic activities. For this reason, I grew up mostly under my mother’s care who was very serious with my education and moral upbringing. I started my schooling at only three and a half years of age. My mother was a very realistic person and she built me a habit of doing everyday chores from cooking to doing my laundry. She would advise me to lead the simple life of a genuine human being.
She Used To Say “If You Find Even A Piece Of Gold Lying On The Streets, That Is Not Yours To Take. Do Not Interfere With Others’ Wealth.”
I wanted to do business from my youth, so I chose commerce as my focus of study. After my graduation, I made up my mind to go to the USA and pursue a higher degree in business. But my father had a better view of my future. He wanted me to stay in the country and serve the people along his side. Learning about my intention, he told me, “We have struggled a lot to establish this country. Stay by me. Serve the country with me.” I took my father’s advice without any question and decided to stay & started my ventures over here in the garments sector. As I belonged to a family whose roots are embedded in politics, it was natural for me to get into politics at some time in the future.
Eventually, I gave up my business and actively got involved in politics, and continued my father’s legacy.
Q. Shed Some Light On Your Political Journey And What Was Your Inspiration Behind Joining Politics?
As I mentioned before, my family has a long political heritage. My father played an instrumental role as Bangabandhu’s aide in the 1947 Sylhet referendum separating Sylhet from Assam for East Bengal.
I Have Seen My Father Taking Part In Elections And Contributing To The Development Of Greater Sylhet. I’d Say I Was Somewhat Inspired By My Father Because I Wanted To Follow In His Footsteps In The World Of Politics.
I’ve experienced about 20 elections in my lifetime. I saw my father, my uncle, and my cousin taking part in the elections. I’ve contributed to their promotional activities as well. It helped me to gain good experiences in the field of politics.
To win peoples’ hearts and get their support, you need to look into their eyes and understand what they yearn for. In the election of 1996, for the first time I worked as an active member and ran election campaigns supporting my father, who was a candidate then. In every election that I took part in, I made sure that the public stood beside me and I had their full support. I addressed their needs and committed to fulfilling them. With the grace of Almighty, I am doing a lot of development activities in my area. Till now, I have completed development projects of around BDT 1200 crore in my area. The development areas include schools, colleges, roads and highways. However, people don’t know many of these because I am not interested in superficial inauguration ceremonies.
Q. What Is Your Leadership Motto In Terms Of Serving People And What Influenced You To Pursue This Quality?
I inherited the quality of leadership from my beloved parents. It always flowed through my blood. They taught me a lot of things from my infantile as well. When I was a kid, I observed my father closely leading his workers and dealing with the public. He was very kind to the needy and addressed them with great care. No one left empty-handed if they came asking for help from my father. I try to carry his legacy of helping people in whatever way I can.
My mother, on the other hand, unveiled to me the significance of a simple life. From her, I learned that to lead the public, you need to lead their life. I always try to follow these ideas of compassion, love, and care when leading others.
My mother used to pray Nafl Salah every day for my well-being. I try to follow her example. I always ask Allah for guidance. It gives me great confidence in my abilities. If you blindly put your faith in the Almighty and set sail in the sea of life, success will be a certainty for you.
Q. Share Your Thoughts And Opinion On Youths’ Involvement In Politics And How You Perceive Their Interest In Joining Politics.
The youths’ interest in politics gives me hope for the days to come. I see their active participation very positively and welcome it with open arms.
This Country Was Once Built By Young Leaders And We Will Always Need Young, Energetic Blood To Lead The Country Into Development.
The young people are very innovative with their ideas. They are updated with the latest world and they are not afraid to take risks. Yes, they should of course put their education first but they should also practice and participate in politics as well. Otherwise, we won’t be able to keep the pace of development and find the right leaders. Their active role in politics will shape them up for future challenges in their life as well.
Q. As Bangladesh Is Developing At A Very Fast Pace, What Morals Should The Public Carry In Order To Cope Up With The Changes?
Bangladesh is developing rapidly and these development activities are changing the dynamics of the traditional society in every way possible. But to develop as a whole and reap its benefit in the long run, we need to keep in mind our roots and values.
The very first thing that our people should do is to love theirhomeland. No country can prosper only with government activities if the people don’t take active participation. Secondly, education is the backbone of a nation and parents should ensure that their children are acquiring the right skills and are brought up as ideal human beings.
We Should Concentrate On Our Family And The Bond That Exists Between Us. If We Can’t Keep Our Families Together, If We Can’t Guide Our Children In The Right Direction, Society As A Whole Will Crumble. They Should Be Taught About Their Responsibilities Towards Parents, Compassion For The Poor, And Love For Their Country And Nation.
Q. If You Were Not Into Politics, What Profession Would You Rather Pick?
That’s an interesting question. I joined politics to carry out my father’s legacy. But I’ve always been interested in doing business. Before joining politics I started with only ten machines which gradually grew to 700. There were almost about 7,000 workers in the factory then. But I responded to the call of responsibility and left it behind due to my involvement in politics.
But I plan to use my compassion towards business for the development of people. I hope to start a textile facility in the future. It won’t be for me but to facilitate the people where I would be able to create more jobs. The whole facility will be completely self-sufficient with backward linkage and we won’t have to rely on foreign imports for raw materials. I dream of building a complete textile industrial zone in Nabiganj and wish to create at least 50,000 jobs. I sometimes feel your responsibility towards society comes before your personal interest and you must act responsibly.
Q. How Do You Manage To Balance Your Professional And Family Life?
As a politician, I need to lead a very busy life. I consider the people of my area as a part of my family. That way, I don’t need to differentiate between my family and profession.
Despite all my activities, I try my best to make time for my own family. Even though I’m on errands or traveling, I make sure that I don’t miss any family occasions. I love spending time with my grandchildren and other family members. I always pray to Allah to make things easier for me. I’m a Muslim and as a Muslim, it’s my duty to fulfill my responsibilities towards my family and my profession as well.
Lastly, I’d like to add that, it’s a blessing to be able to take care of your parents and it’s my advice to others that you should take utmost care of them while they are still in this world. And, the bond between our families holds the society together. We should value it above all.
Q. Tell Us About Your Vision And Share Some Of The Notable Activities That You Have Successfully Initiated Till Now.
As I’ve mentioned before, it’s my dream to turn Habiganj into a well-developed area. I want people to remember me for the works I’ve done and the legacy I leave behind.
I Want To Turn Bahubol Into A Pourosova. It Was My Father’s Wish To Build A Bypass Highway In Nabiganj To Alleviate Traffic Jams And The Project Is Currently Underway. I’m Also Planning To Establish Schools And Colleges That Will Focus On The Development Of Technical Knowledge Among The Youths Of The Habiganj Area. I Also Want To Create A Special Zone In Habiganj For The Textile Industry. It’s Been My Lifelong Dream To Turn Habiganj Into A Satellite Town And I’m Very Optimistic About It. A Six Lane Project Has Been Accepted By The Prime Minister As Soon As I’ve Proposed It. The Construction Planning Of A Modern Hospital Is Now Underway So That The People Of Habiganj Don’t Have To Go To Other Cities For Treatment.
During the initial days of Covid, when we were struggling to bring everything under control, my family and I worked closely with the front liners and donated oxygen, masks, PPEs and an ambulance for carrying patients etc.
I’ve set up several deep tube wells around Habiganj and plan to set up a water treatment plant. Besides, a 150 MW power plant will be built here as well in order to ensure electricity for all households of the area. I strongly safeguard my area against gambling and drugs. The youths need a positive environment to grow up and as a leader, it’s my duty to make sure of that. I’m also planning to propose in the parliament a raise in the remuneration of Imam and Muajjins at mosques all over the country. They need to look after their family and I feel that they deserve more. I hopethat I’d be able to put a positive impact into the lives of people of Habiganj and be remembered for the legacy and works I left behind.
After being elected as MP, I’ve given allowances to thousands of people, mostly those who were unable to work or are senior citizens and widows. I’ve donated for the treatment of cancer and kidney disease that are on the rise. I’ve taken the initiative to build a hospital in Sylhet for better treatment at less cost for the people. In the health sector, I’m taking initiatives to establish more medicine corners and treatment facilities with separate rooms for males, females, and mothers.
As a member of the railway committee, I am working to bolster Dhaka-Sylhet railway connectivity. As a part of it, I am restarting a railway station that had been closed for 30 years. I’m also putting emphasis on the effective use of river resources because it’s an integral part of the environment. If the rivers are saved then our population will survive. I have dug eight canals that hold water all year round. It also facilitates a cooperative system for vegetable and fish cultivation.
I don’t know how much I’ll be able to achieve but I won’t stop as long as the Almighty has given me the opportunity to do good for society.
Q. How Do You Enjoy Your Leisure And What Is Your Favorite Hobby?
Lately, I don’t get enough free time. I’m mostly occupied with serving the people in my area. I am helping them as an MP now and I’ll keep helping them even when I’m not an MP.
Whenever I get free time, I try to spend it with my family. I also do some Islamic studies because it’s our duty to know our religion properly. One cannot enter Jannah just by merely maintaining an Islamic appearance and keeping a beard. It’s important that you practice your Islamic belief and know about it properly. I’m also working on spreading the knowledge of the Quran and Hadith, especially for the female population. I have around 500 people working on it. People will remember us long after we are gone through our activities and I strongly believe it is our duty to utilize our leisure in a way that serves people.
Q. As My Last Question, We’d Like To Know What’s Your Advice Towards The Younger Generation?
My first piece of advice is that you should love your country. Try to gain as much knowledge about our history and heritage. You should uphold the dignity of independence and be respectful to those who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom.
It’s very important to take good care of your parents and fulfill your responsibility towards your family. Your parents will not be by your side forever and you need to take the best care of them as long as you get the opportunity.
I’ll advise them to always maintain a positive approach and work on their goal. There are a lot of opportunities in the country. Most importantly, be very careful and diligent in following your religion, say your prayer regularly and task for guidance from Allah. Always respect your parents because their blessings will take you places you will never expect.
