The Barishal city is yet to see fully-fledged electioneering by the major political parties although the polls are just two weeks away.
The Awami League and the BNP have held rallies on small scales but none of them was seen bringing out traditional processions. The door-to-door campaign seeking votes was also absent.
Seven candidates are running in Barishal-5 and posters of AL, BNP, and Islami Andolan Bangladesh aspirants are visible in the constituency that has 10 unions and the city corporation.
AL candidate Zaheed Farooque and BNP candidate Mazibur Rahman Sarwar are struggling to get party men working for their campaigns.
Local BNP leaders, who failed to secure party tickets, are yet to join Mazibur's campaign.
Former army man Zaheed had been somewhat detached from politics since his defeat in the 2008 national polls and is finding it hard to organise his campaign in a constituency the BNP held from 1991 to 2008.
Before offering the Jummah prayers on Friday, Zaheed and Mazibur paid tributes to martyred intellectuals at the Muktijuddho Falak in Barishal city.
Zaheed later held small rallies in Sayestabad, Shaheberhat, and Tongibaria unions but no major election activity was seen inside the city corporation area.
These correspondents found two offices of the Awami League, at ward-19 and at Natunbazar, closed around 3:00pm on Friday.
Mostafa, a trader who works near the ward office, said, "The office has no people as the campaign is yet to gain momentum."
A shopkeeper in New Market area echoed Mostafa.
"You will see campaigning by horn speakers only. Face-to-face vote seeking has not started yet."
No polls activity was seen on Sadar Road, Hospital Road, and College Road – the thoroughfares of Barishal city
Meanwhile, the BNP camp has unity issue.
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Party insiders said Bilkis Jahan Shirin, organising secretary of BNP, Ebaidul Haque Chan, president of Barishal district (South) BNP, and Ahsan Habib Kamal, and former BCC mayor were reluctant to campaign for Mazibur after failing to get party tickets.
Shirin yesterday said Chan could be sick but the rest of them would be on the campaign trail of Mazibur.
Mazibur, lawmaker of Barishal-5 in 2001-2006 and also a former BCC mayor, claimed that the BNP leaders in Barishal were united and would work for him. They were deciding on campaign strategies and observing the AL campaign, he said, adding that his campaign would shift gears within two or three days.
He alleged that AL men had threatened his men in Kashipur and Sayestabad and the Election Commission was not playing its due role.
Golam Abbas Chowdhury Dulal, president of AL Barishal city unit, brushed aside Mazibur's claims and said, “Raising allegations is like a routine work for them. They are saying this just for the sake of saying something."
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