Once neglected northern Thakurgaon district home to rich culture, heritage and natural beauty with only 531km off Himalaya and surrounding by 10 trans-boundary rivers, witnessed a massive development in all fields in the last 15 years.

The Awami League government has made development activities in every field including education, health, communication, infrastructure in the three consecutive terms as urban amenities have been reached doorsteps of marginal communities in remote areas. 

Once nightmare load shedding was a common phenomenon in the district but now cent percent electricity coverage has been ensured throughout the district in the last 15 years. 

Not only that, 104 MW electricity generated in Thakurgaon is also being added to the national grid. 

As a result of the current government's multifaceted initiatives to increase electricity generation, it has already been possible to bring hundreds of people in the district under electricity service through NESCO and Palli Vidyut Samiti from power plants and national grid electricity. 

In 2006, only 30 MW of electricity was supplied to Thakurgaon district as only 60 percent people got electricity facilities. Currently, the electricity supply of the district is 104 MW..
In this regard, the manager (operation) of the power plant Zahidul Islam said that the production capacity of the power plant is 132 MW but the demand is 114 MW during peak hours. 

However, according to the agreement, 115 MW is being produced which meets the electricity demand of the entire Thakurgaon.

The district also saw massive progress in healthcare as community clinics established in the remote villages appear as a change-maker in health services in the pastoral areas. 

During the BNP-Jamaat coalition government between 2001 and 2006, Thakurgaon was a safe haven of terrorism and militancy but now there is no such activity in the district thanks to the government's zero tolerance policy against terrorism. 

Once, Ranishankail upazila of the district had a militant hideout in BNP period. As a result, the people of the area used to live in fear. But, Ranishankoil is now a completely free from any kind of terrorist activity.

Thakurgaon police super Uttam Prasad Pathak said there were 7 cases related to militancy in the district. 

One of these has been settled and six others remain under trial as a total of 94 people are made accused in those cases, he said. 

Among them 74 persons are on bail, two are absconding, two are absconding after getting bail, five have died and one has been acquitted while five persons each are in Panchagarh and Rangpur jails, he added. 

Pathak also said that currently there is no terrorist hideout or den anywhere in Thakurgaon.

The district is becoming 100% landless and homeless free. In implementation of the Prime Minister's promise, the process of making Thakurgaon a 100% landless and homeless free district is underway. 

In the first, second and third phases of the Asharyan-2 project, out of a total of 8,187 landless and homeless families, 7,436 have been given houses along with lands. 

The remaining houses are in final stages of construction. Various job-oriented training programs are being given to the beneficiaries for their social and economic development.

A lot of improvement occurred in the education and health sectors of the district. Many new steps have been taken to improve the quality of education. 

In this district, a public university and M Wazed Mia Engineering College have been built while honors and masters courses introduced in government colleges and modern infrastructures have been built at different institutions.

Besides, multimedia classrooms, Sheikh Russell Digital Lab and smart classrooms have been set up, free laptops were distributed among students, Wi-Fi connection has been given in schools and colleges to enable the students to have modern and digital facilities to cope with the ever-changing world.

Agricultural production has increased manifold: 
Thakurgaon is the country's one of major contributors to agricultural production. Due to natural and geographical reasons, rice, wheat, corn, potato, jute, vegetables, mustard, Chinese almond, onion, garlic, pepper, ginger, turmeric and other types of rapeseeds and oilseeds are cultivated in the district. 

As a result of the current government's multifaceted and modern technology-based agricultural management, the total arable land of the district and the production of agricultural products have increased manifold in the last 15 years. 

Moreover, the farmers of this district are also happy because the transport system is easy and the price of agricultural products is also lucrative.

In this context, Deputy Director of Agricultural Extension Department Thakurgaon Sirajul Islam said this district is an agriculture dependent district as 75-80 percent people here earn their living from agricultural works.

So the contribution of this district to agriculture is great, he said.

The district saw an agricultural revolution in the last 10-15 years due to the use of modern technology, agricultural education, regular communication and maintaining good relationship with the farmers by the authorities concerned as well as regular consultation with the farmers, he said.

This agriculturist also expressed hope that Thakurgaon district will advance further in agriculture by maintaining the continuity of this improvement and development of agriculture.