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Fresh face relief for Barisal voters

Emran Hossain and Rafiqul Islam, from Barisal
Jahangir, a rickshawpuller, shows a scar on his back caused when Awami League (AL) activists beat him up while Abul Hasnat Abdullah was a lawmaker here.
The reason? He refused to pay Tk 200 — an entire day's earnings for him — as toll to them.
“You talk about bigger things like corruption and criminal activities, 1 was attacked for Tk 200 only,” Jahangir says as he ponders if he would ever vote for such a party again.
It is not like BNP is any different. Stories of criminal activities, corruption and wrong doing are abundant.
Sayed Zamal Hossain Noman, incumbent counselor and a close aide of former mayor Mozibur Rahman Sarwar -- contesting from Barisal-5 constituency tomorrow - realised Tk 2 crore from local businessmen - - in the name of allocating them shops at a market— and shared the money with Sarwar.
It is alleged that Sarwar also encroached adjoining land while constructing a multipurpose city market here, constructed the market there. Subsequently he earned a lot of money by giving out fake allocation of the shops.
The businessmen are yet to get any shops.
There are five other abandoned multipurpose city markets in the main city here, all entangled in similar problems.
Bansal residents lived with these realities as they suffered from corruption, irregularities and criminal activities both during the past AL and BNP regimes.
As a result, new faces contesting for the first time from AL and BNP here are getting preferences among voters who are aware about these issues due to widespread media coverage and the massive anti-corruption drive in the country.
On the other hand, old candidates are trying to hold
on to their past positions by making pledges to tackle corruption with a tough hand.
Both the AL-led 14-party alliance candidate Col (Retd) Zahid Faruque, who is contesting for the first time, and BNP's Mozibur Rahman Sarwar yesterday pledged to work against corruption and criminal activities as the election campaign ended yesterday.
Islami Shashontantra Andolon, meanwhile, is also a force to reckon with as it enjoys a considerable amount of popularity in Barisal-5.
Barisal incumbent City Corporation Mayor Shawkat Hossain Hiron from the four-party alliance also enjoys some popularityofhisownhere.
The voters from different constituencies in Barisal where old faces are contesting yet again, however, have no other option but to choose from amongst them.
Meanwhile, Barisal city was
a city of processions and crowds as the last minute campaigning ended yesterday.
The new faces contesting from six constituencies in Barisal include Abdus Sobhan, from BNP-led four party alliance from Barisal-1 constituency, Selima Rahman, both contesting for the first time from BNP and AL-led 14-party alliance from Barisal-3 constituency, Mejbauddin Farhad and Maidul Islam, both for the first time from Barisal-4.
"We want to give a chance to new faces. The old faces have had enough chances,” Mohiuddin, a resident of Barisal-5 constituency, said.
A three tier security measures including stationed, mobile and striking forces has been announced for the parliamentary polls tomorrow.
In the 2001 polls in Barisal, the four-party alliance won 18 out of 23 seats in 2001. This year number of seats in Barisal division has been reduced to 21.