In the run-up to February 12 polls, Shakeel Anwar visits outlying constituencies to hear directly from voters about their hopes, demands and expectations.

SHAKEEL ANWAR, from Dakop, Khulna

I reached Dakop-Batiaghata in Khulna on Monday, travelling through flat land crisscrossed by embankments and rivers. Compared to other constituencies, this seat has the highest number of Hindu voters, combining two upazilas, though a little short of majority. This is a political fact that has shaped voting behaviour here for decades. Until now, the choice had rarely been complicated.

Most Hindu voters here cast their votes for Awami League, with one exception: in 1996, they elected an Awami League rebel, belonging to their faith.

However, AL’s absence from the February 12 elections has left behind a quiet unease. As I moved through bazaars and villages, one question kept ringing in my mind: whom will Hindus

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