Shihab Ahmed, a successful entrepreneur who was once a vegetable seller, has announced his election contest as an independent candidate in the Lalmonirhat-1 (Patgram-Hatibandha) constituency.

He officially started his election campaign in Patgram Upazila by organizing a motorcycle procession on the afternoon of September 30. The procession started from Doani More in Barakhata, Hatibandha Upazila and circled the important roads of Patgram Upazila.

Shihab Ahmed said, “People are the power. I want to gain their trust from the doorsteps of the people. I have already provided employment to more than 500 youth. Unemployment will be eliminated in Hatibandha and Patgram by 2030. If I am elected, I will implement every development activity of the people with transparency. I have come to give to this country, not to take.”

Shihab Ahmed’s life story is inspiring. Having lost his mother at a young age and raised by his grandmother, he worked as a vegetable seller, truck helper and rickshaw driver for a long time and achieved GPA-5 in the SSC exam. Then, he passed his higher secondary from Rangpur Carmichael College and got a scholarship to Turkey.

Along with his studies in Turkey, he changed his life by doing various labor jobs. In 2018, he started a mobile phone accessories business and gradually built about 13 companies in the country and abroad, including real estate, construction, tourism and restaurants.

His rivals in this seat are Jamaat-supported heavyweight candidate Anwarul Islam Raju, BNP-supported Hasan Rajib Pradhan and a few other rivals.