Little-known faces generate little interest

Most of the candidates contesting the upcoming national polls from the six parliamentary seats in Khulna are little known to people, and as such, there is a genuine lack of enthusiasm among the people as election campaigns continue.

Abdullah Al Amin, a resident of Chhoto Boyra in Khulna city, is contesting from Khulna-2 (Khulna Sadar- Sonadanga) as the candidate of Bangladesh Nationalist Movement.

Talking to people from the area, this correspondent found that Abdullah is hardly known there.

A few locals said they know Abdullah as an Awami League activist.

Contacted, Abdullah admitted that he was involved with AL in the past, but now he is the member secretary of BNM's Sonadanga upazila unit in Khulna.

He, however, could neither give much information about his party, nor could confirm whether BNM has any office in Khulna city.

The situation is the same for all six constituencies of Khulna district, where 24 out of 36 candidates are contesting for the first time, and most have no prior connection to politics.

Asked why they suddenly became interested in parliamentary elections, most of the candidates could not answer properly.

In Khulna-1, four candidates are contesting the polls: Awami League's Nani Gopal Mandal, Jatiya Party's Kazi Hasanur Rashid, Trinamool BNP's Gobinda Chandra Pramanik and independent candidate Proshanta Kumar Roy.

Other than Mandal, who was elected MP in 2008 polls from the seat, the other three are unknown in the political arena.

Gobinda Chandra Pramanik, a resident of Kalukhali in Rajbari and general secretary of Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajote, is contesting from Khulna-1 (Batiaghata-Dacope) as Trinamool BNP's candidate.

He is known among some residents as a Hindu community leader, but has hardly any connection with the grassroots.

Pabitra Roy, a member of Batiaghata union parishad, said, "I have been serving as an elected representative and even I don't know him [Gobinda]. So, how can common people know him?"

Contacted, Gobinda said, "I am contesting from Khulna-1 as the area is populated by people from Hindu community. I took Trinamool BNP's membership recently to contest the elections."

In Khulna-5, four candidates are contesting the polls, including JP's Md Shahid Alam, Workers' Party's Sheikh Salim Akhtar, AL's Narayan Chandra Chanda and independent candidate Sheikh Akram Hossain.

Chanda is a four-time lawmaker from the seat and former fisheries and livestock minister.

The remaining three do not have any previous record of contesting in parliamentary elections.

Sheikh Salim Akhtar said, "I am contesting from my party like aspirants of other political parties. In politics, there is no difference between big and small parties as well as their candidates."

Advocate Kudrat-E Khuda, Khulna unit president of SANAK (Sacheton Nagorik Committee), said as some parties including BNP join the polls, there are no strong candidates from other parties in Khulna's six seats.

"We are yet to see any festive mood in rural areas. Only the Awami League candidates and their activists are visible in the field," he said. "Without participatory and competitive elections, it is natural that people will not be interested," he added.

SM Kamal Hossain, AL  candidate from Khulna-3 and AL central organising secretary, said people are enthusiastic about polls.

"Everywhere I go, I see a large number of people. If there was no enthusiasm, so many people would not have come," he added.