Assam: Dhubri outreach sets tone for Congress manifesto, MP flags alleged Sonahat syndicate

Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain, on January 3, led the ‘Raijor Podulit Raijor Congress’ programme in the district, using the platform to collect written feedback from party units, civil society groups and journalists for the Congress’s roadmap ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections.

The exercise, held under the banner of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee’s statewide campaign, centred on direct public interaction. Hussain said the submissions received during the meetings would not be treated as symbolic consultations. “These inputs will be formally incorporated into the party’s election manifesto,” he said, signalling that the document would be shaped by ground-level concerns rather than closed-door drafting.

The outreach took a sharper political turn later in the day when the MP addressed a press conference and alleged the existence of a “well-organised syndicate” operating at the Sonahat International Trade Centre in Golakganj. Hussain claimed the network was facilitating the export of stones to Bangladesh through illegal channels, with operations concentrated in the Laximari area of the Golakganj Assembly constituency.

“A well-organised syndicate is running the show at the Sonahat International Trade Centre. In Laximari, massive quantities of stones are being exported through illegal channels and under-the-table dealings,” he told reporters, calling for a thorough investigation into the alleged irregularities. He argued that such practices were damaging the local economy and hurting legitimate traders who depend on transparent cross-border commerce.

The Dhubri programme is part of the Congress’s broader attempt to reassert itself in Lower Assam by foregrounding local grievances and drawing a direct line between public consultation and policy commitments. By pairing manifesto-building with allegations of border trade malpractice, Hussain sought to position the party’s campaign as both people-driven and sharply critical of the current administration’s handling of economic oversight.