& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Munshiganj factor to pick Dhaka-6 victor

Wasim Bin Habib and Naimul Alam Nobin
A large number of voters having their origins in Munshiganj might play a decisive role in the upcoming parliamentary elections in Dhaka-6 constituency as the two electoral alliances have nominated candidates hailing from that district considering the factor.
Beside^ the Awami League-led grand alliance and the BNP-led four-partv alliance, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh aKo nominated a person who hails from Munshiganj as its candidate in the seat where the largest chunk of votes is from Sutrapurand part of Kotwali thana.
A significant number of minority voters, who constitute about 30 percent of the vote bank in the constituency, would also be an important factor for the six aspirants for the seat.
The main contenders, however, are
Bikalpadhara candidate and former president Prof AQM Ba(|ruddoza Chowdhury, BNP candidate and Dhaka City Corporation Mayor Sadeque Hqssain Khoka and AL-led grand alliance candidate Mizanur Rahman KhanDipu.
Khoka, who was the MP from the area for the last three times, would face tough challenge this time from former BNP
strongman Badruddoza Chowdhury who has huge supporters in the seat although he is contesting from this seat for the first time.
Meanwhile, AL leaders speculate that votes of the four-party alliance will get divided between Khoka and Badruddoza and this will give their candidate Dipu advantage. Dipu got party ticket for the first time.
Khoka defeated AL candidate Saeed Khokon, son of former Dhaka city mayor Mohammad Hanif, by 25,457 votes in 2001 and AL candidate Fazlul Karim by 2,315 votes in 1996 in the area, which constituted Dhaka-8 at that time.
The Dhaka city mayor fought in the Supreme Court to get his candidacy after the Election Commission barred incumbent city mayors from contesting the polls as per the Representation of the People Order.
The number of voters in Dhaka-6 is 2,24,539 and a large number of them came from Munshiganj to settle in the area for business purpose.
Talking to The Daily Star, voters including businessmen, rickshaw pullers and first time voters of the area said although six candidates are fighting from the seat, it would be a triangular fight among Khoka, Badruddoza Chowdhury and Mizanur Rahman.
They said they would evaluate performance of Khoka and measure what the new candidates would be able to do for them.
Many voters said there might be a BNP versus BNP fight between Khoka and Badruddoza as the latter is the founding secretary general of the «BNP and was a popular leader.
Khoka, whose name was on the corrupt suspects' list of
Commission, once declared to quit politics and not to run in election anymore. He was the first BNP leader to propose curtailing power of the party chairperson to ensure democracy in the party.
Voters said these issues would decide Khoka's fate in the election.
Faruk Raghib, a businessman in Waiz Ghat area, said, “Badruddoza Chowdhury is a clean person but he is new in the area whereas Khoka is familiar face. Both of them, however, have good reputation which would draw votes for them.. .Mizanur Rahman is also a new candidate but he might also secure many votes."
He said, "Voters will evaluate Khoka's performance during his three tenures as the area's MP and as the mayor. They will also take Khoka's announcement to quit politics into consideration.”
Samiran Deb, a resident of Patuatuli area, said there would be a tight fight in the constituency because the candidates are strongmen of their respective parties and have their vote banks in the area..
Shah Alam, a first time voter residing at North Brook Hall Road, said, "After the changeover of January 11 people have seen many things about their political leaders. Voters will now consider those before casting votes. So, it will not be easy for any person to bag votes by just showing