Candidates across the country are busy campaigning for their franchise aiming to get elected to the parliament in the upcoming national polls slated for Dec 30.
Dhaka-18 constituency comprising of Dakshinkhan, Khilkhet, Turag, Uttara, Uttarkhan and adjacent areas is no different as former minister Advocate Sahara Khatun, a boat candidate, has been campaigning in full throttle to retain the seat.
However, her opponent, Jatiya Oikya Front Candidate Shahid Uddin Mahmud Shwapon, who is contesting with BNP’s polls logo paddy sheaf has so far remained low profile since officially kicking off his campaign on Thursday (Dec 13).
Oikya Front and BNP activists have alleged that they are not being able to campaign as they fear attacks on them.
The other contender for the seat is Islami Andolon candidate Alhaj Anwar Hossain who is running with electoral symbol handfan.
Most of the electorate in the constituency have no clue who is paddy sheaf candidate while posters of Awami League candidate Sahara Khatun is all over the area. Ruling party activists are distributing leaflets detailing developmental activities spearheaded by Khatun in her constituency in the past decade.
Similar as the Oikya Front candidate, the Islami Andolon candidate has not yet used any posters or banner to garner voters’ support. However, a couple of processions and leaflet distribution has been seen for the latter.
In the 2008 election, Sahara Khatun won the seat with 213,332 votes while her nearest opponent BNP candidate Azizul Bari Helal got 116,786 votes.
Local voters are saying, they know the boat candidate rather well compared to the Oikya Front’s pick. Khatun has worked for the area's development during her two consecutive terms, they said.
Oikya Front supporters told Bangla Tribune that assaults have been reported on paddy sheaf campaigns across the country and they fear the same for which they are not being able to campaign.
Besides, a number of BNP leaders and activists are in jail on various charges, they added.
Dhaka-18 constituency has a total of 555,713 registered voters with 286,158 male and 269,555 female.
