FROM PAGE 3

A resident of the Turag area told The Daily Star that waste management is their top concern. “The entire area is dirty and uncleaned, but there is no initiative for proper waste management,” she said.

Theft, mugging, and overall security were also cited as major issues.

A teacher, requesting anonymity, expressed scepticism. “With the election approaching, many are giving assurances. But I don’t know if we will see them once the polls are over. We want representatives who will actually listen to us and solve our problems.”

Saiful Islam Himel, a resident of Uttara Sector-13, said elected representatives must prioritise local needs.

“Extortion is a regular occurrence here. Teen gangs, theft, and mugging are rampant. Administrative action must be increased,” he said, adding that the government must ensure communal harmony, control commodity prices, and make civic services more accessible.

Harun-or-Rashid, 45, a “July Warrior” from the Uttarkhan Mazar area, described life in the constituency as increasingly difficult.

Traffic jams, roadside encroachments, extortion, uncontrolled auto-rickshaws, poor drainage, low gas pressure, and contaminated Wasa water, he said, have made daily life unbearable for many residents.

Voters believe the main contest will be between BNP candidate SM Jahangir Hossain and Ariful Islam Adeeb of the National Citizen Party (NCP), a candidate of the Jamaat-led 10-party alliance.

Other prominent contenders include Mahmudur Rahman Manna of Nagorik Oikya and Md Anwar Hossain of Islami Andolan Bangladesh.

Independent candidates Md Mohiuddin Hawlader and Md Ismail Hossain, along with Zakir Hossain of Jatiya Party, Syed Harun-or-Rashid of BSD, Sabina Javed of NPP, and Md Jashim Uddin of Bangladesh Islami Front, are also in the race.

NCP candidate Ariful Islam Adeeb says he is focusing on grassroots mobilisation.

“Instead of large showdowns, I am holding small ward-level meetings daily to reach people of all classes and ages,” he told The Daily Star.

He has pledged to transform Uttara into a “planned, safe, and just city”, proposing a government hospital to address disparities in civic services, specialised task forces for business security, and dedicated buses for women.

Adeeb also alleged he was attacked during the campaign. Claiming that the electoral environment is becoming uneven, he said the administration and large businesses are favouring a particular party.

BNP candidate SM Jahangir Hossain said no meaningful development has taken place in Turag, Uttarkhan, and Dakshinkhan over the past 17 years.

“If elected, I will solve waterlogging, traffic congestion, and utility crises,” he said, promising modern education for youth, employment opportunities for women, and “Family Cards” for underprivileged households.

He also committed to making Dhaka-18 free from terrorism, extortion, and drugs.

Addressing the alleged attack on the NCP leader, he termed it a “misunderstanding” and said organisational action had already been taken against the BNP activists involved.

“If I win, I will work with Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Ariful Islam Adeeb, and others to build a humanitarian and new Bangladesh,” he added.

Mahmudur Rahman Manna said voters have responded positively to his campaign.

“People in this constituency -- known as the gateway to the 2024 uprising -- now want qualitative change,” he said, describing the area as “neither a city nor a village”.

He pledged a radical transformation, identifying extortion as a key challenge, and called on youth and women to engage in politics to build a discrimination-free Bangladesh.

With 6,13,883 voters -- 3,79,906 men, 3,67,151 women, and six hijra voters -- Dhaka-18 remains one of the country’s largest and most closely watched constituencies.