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Ctg voters look for change

Md Hasan And Dwaipayan Barua
The port city remained silent just day before the much-awaited general elections as curtain fell on the last-minute polls campaign on Saturday night.
Curious voters gathered together at different parts of the city's tea stalls, calculating last-time maths to whom they would vote for. Taking into account the last seven years' tenure, they are thinking that they need a change.
Local voters said last two year's anti-corruption rules by the caretaker government and delimitation of constituencies in the city will affect the 9th parliamen tary elections.
The four-party alliance succeeded to bag 13 seats in the port city in 2001 elections,
whether Awami League (AL) won the remaining two constituencies out of 15 ones. However, this year one more seat has been included in the total constituencies here.
“I will cast my vote for an honest candidate,” said Mahbub Alam, a resident of Dhanialapara slum, just after his last sip of the tea.
Talking to The Daily Star, Rezaul Alam at Chawkbazar intersection said this year election calculation might be changed and even something new might happen in the poll results.
He would consider price hike of essentials, corruption by the political leaders and competent leadership in casting his vote.
Along with the young voters in the city, there are 25 percent minority votes who
will contribute a lot to this year's elections.
“New voters will play a significant role in the port city as they are more conscious of corruption," said Mushtari Shafi, TIB convener in Chittagong.
She said campaign against war criminals and for honest and competent leaders by different organisations can change the vote tallies in the city.
However, some voters in the port city noticed purchasing votes using black money, especially in the remote areas.
"Tonight would be very sensitive for the voters,” said Sadek, a businessman in the city, adding that as maximum candidates are involved in businesses here, it would not be surprising if someone purchases votes.