Out for a decisive battle

Asaduzzaman Noor(left), Shahrin Islam Tuhin

Domar upazila town in Nilphamari wore a festive look with colourful posters all around, processions and miking for the chairman candidatesAwami League-backed Al Azhar Hossain and local BNP leader Mosabber Hossain Manu.

But their main campaigners are AL Central Publicity Secretary and cultural personality Asaduzzaman Noor MP and the prime minister's nephew and former BNP lawmaker Shahrin Islam Tuhin as their fate in Domar in the next parliamentary election depends on outcome of the municipal polls to be held tomorrow.

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Noor and Tuhin are moving door to door, leading processions and addressing small rallies, appealing for vote for their men.

Over 100 election camps to campaign for both the candidates have been set up in the municipality with only 8,238 voters.

Tomorrow's election will be the second since Domar was declared a municipality in 2001.

The municipal election has created a great enthusiasm among the people, drawing into race 34 candidates for the nine posts of commissioner and 13 for three seats reserved for women.

Nilphamari-2 parliamentary constituency comprises Domar municipality and Dimla upazila. Domar is the home town of Tuhin and he is lobbying hard for a four-party alliance ticket from the constituency in the next general election, party sources said. But his political fate will depend on the success of Manu and other BNP-backed candidates, the sources said.

On the other hand, Asaduzzaman Noor, being the incumbent lawmaker, is trying to retain his power base in Domar.

To throw weight behind Manu, Tuhin is taking help of State Minister for Education ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon and some other party MPs in the campaign while AL stalwart and former agriculture minister Motia Chowdhury and some other party leaders are already in the hustings for Noor's men.

Talking to this correspondent, some voters said there could be a neck to neck fight in the election.