As the day of national election on 30 December is just knocking on the door, last time’s election campaign has gained momentum everywhere in five constituencies in the district.
AL leaders are uninterruptedly campaigning and desperate to retain power while BNP candidates are trying their level best to regain lost seats, despite continued and random arrests and attacks on them in the stray incidents in the entire district.
According to Police Control Room, during the last 24 hours, a total of 58 , mostly BNP men, have been held early today Thursday in all the eight Upazilas of the district during Police raids.
ASP Circle Jahid Parvez Chowdhury has also confirmed the report. He added, ‘It is a routine work of Police.Not any special drive ahead of coming poll’.
It is observed that BNP leaders and activists are ‘afraid and are hiding themselves for fear of arrest by Police’. So, they can’t come out to campaign and hold any small meetings even, let alone house to house campaign.
People especially voters are also seriously thinking of casting their votes peacefully in the polling centres . But voters have told this correspondent that ‘if there are clashes at Vote Centres, they won’t go to cast votes’. This year even Bede people are keenly interested to cast their votes -said Rehana, 35, Fatema, 35, and Shahanara, 33, and Mokter Hossain, 35, who live by fishing and have been living on boats since their birth beside the Dakatia river banks near Chandpur Natun Bazar-Puran Bazar Shetu.
‘New voters are also echoing this same view’. But they are dead against any sort of rigging in poll or poll violence-. This was disclosed by many new voters.
While talking to many voters in Chandpur Sadar, Matlab, Kochua, Faridganj and Shahrasti, they have expressed their strong desires that ‘qualified and honest people be elected for the development of their areas’. But they do not want to see any ‘questionable election’ like the one of the 5th January 2014′. They want a free and fair election.
In five seats in the district, a total of 55 candidates are contesting in the coming poll.
But the main contest will be held between AL and BNP candidates- strongly feel almost all voters adding that they are also in panic if they will be able to cast their own votes freely and spontaneously at vote centres.
In Chandpur -3 Constituency, (Sadar-Haimchar) AL candidate Dr Dipu Moni is working from door to door in different villages , hats and bazars and holding ‘Uthan meetings’ in Chandpur Sadar and Haimchar Upazilas while her arch rival , also her close neighbour, BNP candidate Sk Farid Ahmed Manik is also campaigning seriously in different places , paras and mohollas , hats and bazaars in Chandpur Sadar and Haimchar Upazilas, though he is reportedly encountering attacks in different places at the time of campaigning by the miscreants.
In Chandpur-1 , AL candidate Dr Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir is working seriously to retain his power as an MP while his arch rival BNP candidate Mosharraf Hossain is working silently.
In Chandpur 2, AL candidate Nurul Amin Ruhul is working from door to door along with his supporters and AL leaders while his arch rival , BNP candidate Dr Jalaluddin has alleged that he has been ‘kept confined at his home ‘ at Ludhua village in Matlab Uttar since 15th December. He can’t come out of his home nor can he move anywhere for campaigning. Nor can his activists and supporters can come to him for talks. Contacted, Matlab Uttar Thana OC Kabir Hossain has told this correspondent that ,’ for his(Dr Jalal’s) safety, he has to stay at his home’ as they have reports that Dr Jalal may be attacked by his anti-groups.
The other candidates in Matlab are not serious about campaigning at all. Even , not many posters and banners are seen in hats and bazars .’Vote- fever is not much observed in Matlab Uttar and Matlab South Upazilas’ during this correspondent ‘s visit to these places.
In Chandpur -4, AL candidate renowned journalist Shafiqur Rahman is working relentlessly to win the seat. He says that Faridganj is the fortress of AL, not of BNP. He is giving many big assurances to the voters. The BNP candidate MA Hanan ‘s candidature was deferred on last Monday for his loan default and since then his vote campaigning has come to a halt in Faridganj. Now, Lion Harunor Rashid has been given BNP’s nomination in the last time.
In Chandpur- 5, AL candidate Major Rtd Rafiqul Islam -Bir Uttam and Sector Commander of Sector No-1 in the Liberation War, is serious about retaining his status as an MP. For this, he has been campaigning from dawn to dusk in Hajiganj and Shahrasti Upazilas for the last several weeks. BNP candidate Engineer Mominul Huque is seriously working in the nook and corner of these two Upazilas.
Talking to this correspondent, he has alleged that his many activists have been put behind the bar as they are BNP men. Contacted, Major Rafique has told this correspondent ‘I have filed no case against any BNP man or leader in Hajiganj or in Shahrasti’. He has added, ‘Police might have specific allegations against the arrestees of BNP and so…….’.
The other candidates are Bahadur Shah Al Mojaddedi ( Chair symbol) of Islamic Oikya Front, BSD, JSD and Jaker Party candidates are also working to get voters’ mandate.
According to the latest statistics of the District Election office, there are a total of 18 lakh seven thousand nine hundred and eighty four voters in the district.
Of them, 9 lakh18 thousand and 64 are male voters and the rest 8 lakh 89 thousand and 920 are female voters.
In Chandpur -1 Constituency, there are 2 lakh 65 thousand and 966 voters.
Of them, one lakh 34 thousand and 292 are male voters and the rest 1 lakh 31 thousand and 674 are female voters.
In Chandpur-2 Constituency , there are a total of 3 lakh 93 thousand and 346 voters. Of them, 1 lakh 98 thousand and 618 are male voters and the rest 1 lakh 94 thousand 728 are female voters.
In Chandpur-3 Constituency, there are a total of 4 lakh ,30 thousand and 400 voters, of whom, 2 lakh,22 thousand and 96 are male voters and the rest 2 lakh 08 thousand and 304 are female voters.
In Chandpur -4 Constituency,( Faridganj) there are a total of 3 lakh 9 thousand and 776 voters , of whom, 1lakh 57 thousand 808 are male voters and the rest 1 lakh 51 thousand 968 are female voters..
In Chandpur- 5 Constituency , there are 4 lakh 8 thousand and 496 voters, of whom, 2 lakh 5 thousand 250 are male voters and the rest 2 lakh 3 thousand and 246 are female voters.
There are 3481 polling booths and 678 Voting Centres in all the five constituencies in the district.
