Garment workers, Urdu-speakers a force in Mirpur
22nd December 2008
Local voters in Mirpur see garment workers and Urdu-speaking voters being a major force in the upcoming polls.
Of some 300, 000 voters in Dhaka-16 constituency, 89,000 are garment workers, 15,000 transport labourers and 40,000 are 'non-Bengalis' or Urdu-speakers of the 'Bihari' camps.
Mirpur holds three constituencies: Dhaka-14, 15 and 16.
Though there are seven candidates running for Dhaka-16, the battle will be most heated between the hopefuls of the two major alliances — Iliasuddin Mollah of the AL-led grand alliance and Rafiqul Islam Miah of the BNP-led four party alliance.
Very few of the Urdu-speaking 'non-Bengalis' — originally stranded in Bangladesh after the war and still to gain a footing outside the 'Bihari' or refugee camps — were allowed to become voters in the past.
They were finally enrolled this time round under the caretaker government after a prolonged legal battle.
Local four-party leaders say they are hopeful of their votes.
Dhaka-16 comprises four city corporation wards, 2, 3, 5 and 6; of these, three ward commissioners are of the BNP-led four party alliance. The commissioner for ward 5 and reserved female commissioner are local AL leaders.
"Ninety percent of the votes of the 40,000 'non-Bengali' voters will go for the four-party alliance," said Kazi Ali Imam Asad, commissioner for ward 3.
"This is because Barrister Rafiq, the four-party candidate, was their advocate in ensuring their voting rights," he said.
Akhter, a resident of the Urdu-speaking community, however, puts it simply: "We will vote for the honest candidate."
Says Rafiqul Islam: "After Khaleda Zia's campaigning, a mass movement has taken shape and I believe that if the election is free and fair then we will win."
He also accused his opponent Ilias Mollah of breaking electoral rules.
Mollah, on the other hand, sounds confident of "one hundred percent success" in the forthcoming polls. "No one will be able to contest with me."
He also pointed to Tarikat Federation candidate Nojibul Bashar Maizbhandari as his closest rival, saying: "The four-party candidate has done no tangible work."
"The main problems of our area are illegal occupation of land, extortion, slums, drugs sale, water and power shortage," says local resident Jamir Uddin.
He also points out that the Mollah family is local and this makes a difference. "Barrister Rafiqul has rented a house in the area during his election campaign."
However, none in the area could say for sure which way the votes of garment workers would swing, most of who are non-locals - who have flocked to the area from other parts of the capital and beyond to find work in the Mirpur garment houses.
But one local BNP worker voiced fears that their votes "may be easily bought" as they are low-income workers.
The other candidates running for Dhaka-16 are: Mahfuzur Rahman of Jatiya Juktofront, Dr Kazi Faruk Ahmed of Oikyoboddho Nagorik Andolon, Abdul Mannan Aziz of Islami Andolon and Mir Mosharraf Hossain of Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal.
Source: BD News 24