Indian politician Reyazul Haque to address the diaspora on Thursday
A prominent Indian politician, Reyazul Haque Alias Raju, who hails from the eastern state of Bihar, will address the Indian diaspora in Riyadh on Thursday. A former chairman of the Bihar State Minority Commission and member of the Legislative Assembly, Reyazul Haque, who is on a fortnight-long trip to Saudi Arabia, is currently the national executive member of India’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
This is Reyazul Haque's second visit to the Saudi capital. This visit is important, keeping in view the fact that the 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly election for all 243 constituencies is scheduled to be held in October or November this year. The political party of Reyazul Haque, called RJD, is the most important party in the grand alliance to contest the Bihar polls. The opposition grand alliance narrowly missed the chance to form the government in the previous election.
A graduate and well-versed in four languages, including Hindi and English, Reyazul Haque is a resourceful and visionary leader with experience in political affairs and development initiatives. Well known among the public in the north Bihar districts of Gopalganj, Siwan, and Chapra, he is always readily available for solving problems of people, handling local emergencies, and administering public events.
Adept at assessing community issues, he is always committed to supporting public interest and promoting peace and prosperity, besides his political engagement. Speaking via phone from Jeddah, RJD leader Reyazul Haque said that “he feels that the grand alliance led by Tejaswai Yadav will put up a strong show in the polls and, if possible, wrest power from the NDA.” Reyazul Haque, who performed Umrah immediately after landing in Jeddah last week, said that he is enthusiastic to meet the Indian diaspora, including expatriates from Bihar living and working in Riyadh.
Reyazul Haque, who climbed the political ladder very fast since his appointment as district president of the Yuva Janata Dal in 1992, contested the Bihar assembly election from Gopalganj constituency in 2000, but lost by a narrow margin. But later he emerged victorious when he was elected Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Gopalganj in February 20025.
This RJD leader, who rose from a humble beginning in the Jangalia area of Gopalganj (Bihar) was also appointed as chairman of the Bihar State Minority Commission in the year 2022. “Reyazul Haque is a leader with integrity, and he is honest and works to create a foundation of trust across different communities, while practicing ethical politics,” said a local businessman Mohammad Amanullah, who also hails from the eastern Indian district of Gopalganj.
Speaking about the qualities of Reyazul Haque, Sohail Ahmed Ladley, a businessman, said that “he is a role model for the rest of the leaders from Bihar. Leading by example, he always takes care of the people of his constituency, besides being very close to the top leaders of RJD.” To this end, it is important to note that the Rashtriya Janata Dal has emerged as a major Indian political party, mainly based in the state of Bihar. The party was founded in 1997 by Lalu Prasad Yadav. The party's support base has traditionally been Other Backward Classes, Dalits, and Muslims, and it is considered a political champion of the lower castes. Ladley pointed out that the visit of Reyazul Haque to the holy cities of Makkah and Medinah, besides Jeddah, Riyadh, and possibly to Jubail in Eastern Province, is part of his public contact program after performing Umrah. The RJD leader intends to socialize with Indian expatriates, mainly with people from Bihar.
To this end, it is important to note that about 400,000 people, including workers, professionals, and businessmen from Bihar, have been living and working in Saudi Arabia. They represent a substantial percentage of Indian workers in Saudi Arabia, whose number currently exceeds 2.8 million. Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58 percent of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India.
Ancient Bihar (which consisted of Anga, Videha/Mithila, Magadha, and Vajji/Vrijji) was a centre of power, learning, and culture in primeval and classical India. Today, Bihar lags behind the other Indian states in human, economic, and development fronts. It is well known that agriculture is the state’s strength, and the successive governments in Bihar are also encouraging the sector.
