Election 2008

Gaibandha <i>char</i> voters want job, river erosion check

11 December 2008, 18:00 PM

KM Rezaul Hoque, Gaibandha

Helpless erosion victims of four disaster-prone upazilas of Gaibandha district are reluctant to cast vote this time as commitment to stop widespread erosion by River Jamuna and creating job opportunity for them remained unfulfilled in the past. “Earlier many of the candidates came before election and sought vote with commitment to change the fate of shoal people. But sorry to say, none of them were available after the election,” said several fishermen who took shelter on Brahmaputra Flood Control Embankment at Baguria in Gaibandha Sadar upazila. Many other erosion victims who live on the embankment, hardly got any help from lawmakers. “Even during the disaster period, we never saw any MP beside us,” said erosion victim Quddus, now a rickshaw-van puller. During a visit to the areas, this correspondent saw that many voters, being affected by erosion, took shelter on abandoned embankment after erecting makeshift sheds there. “We are yet to know the MP. We never saw him in the past time. Simply we cast vote as per instruction by local UP member,” said Sakhina, a housewife of Kachir Char. Some other women voters said they could not cast vote as they could not afford the cost for traveling three to five kilometre to reach the polling center. There is not much work opportunity for landless people in Gaibandha district. Rangpur Sugar Mills at Mohimaganj in Gobindagnaj upazila employs a limited number of workers during the crushing season. A large number of jobless people, mostly farm labourers, landless peasants and marginal farmers, migrate to other places from shoal areas in search of work round the year. “We shall vote for the candidate who will give us job opportunity so that we need not migrate to other places, leaving the family uncared, said Shamsher Ali, a farm labourer.