Election 2008

Minority voters do not belong to any party

None can solely bank on them, community leaders say

24 December 2008, 18:00 PM

Quazi Amanullah, Khulna

None of the candidates of 14-party and four-party alliances in Khulna-1, 2, 3 and 5 constituencies has any reason to be confident of banking on minority community votes in the upcoming national election. A prominent leader of Khulna chapter of Bangladesh Hindu-Buddha-Christian Oiykko Parishad (BHBCOP), Shyamol Kumar Halder, said, “Our each and every vote is a sacred trust which should be cast in favour of a right man whom we always got in our difficult days”. Minority community people would cast their vote judiciously, he added. Leader of Khulna Puja Udjapon Parishad Amiyo Sarker Gora said there is no reason to believe that members of minority community belong to any particular political party. “We will pay the price according to the quality of the candidate”. He however refused to comment who are better candidates in the four constituencies in Khulna city and district. Seeking anonymity, a candidate of 14-party alliance in one of the four constituencies said voters of minority community are X-raying their bitter experiences during rule of all past governments. The results would be reported through ballots in the upcoming national election. Votes may be divided, which is apparent in campaign, he said. According to BHBCOP leader Shyamol Halder, there are over 70,000 minority community voters in Khulna-2 (Sadar and Sonadanga) and Khulna-3 (Khalishpur-Daulatpur-Khanjahan Ali) constituencies. The total number of voters in the two constituencies are 4,21,309. In Khulna-1 (Dacope-Batiaghata), there are over 95,000 minority community voters out of 2,17,730 after adding 10,852 voters delimited from Deluti union of Khulna-6 (Paikgacha and Koira) constituency. According to 14-party candidate Narayan Chandra Chanda, there are over 95,000 minority community voters out of 2,79,704 in his Khulna-5 (Dumuria-Phultala) constituency. “All voters are now very important as days are gone when people of minority community were a winning factor in election”. “So, we are not so silly to bank on them any more as they have become politically conscious in choosing their candidate more consciously than before”, said Nani Gopal Mandol of Khulna-1. Nani Gopal and Narayan Chandra Chanda are 14-party grand alliance candidates. BNP leaders and four-party candidate Amir Ejaj Khan in Khulna-1 said, “All voters--minority or majority--are equal to me”. “It is very difficult to feel the pulse of minority community people. It is up to them to choose their candidate”, said AL leader and grand alliance nominee Begum Mannujan Sufian in Khulna-3. This seat has been kept open for both Awami League and Jatiya Party candidates due to feud in the grand alliance there.