Rangunia, Sitakunda of Ctg abuzz with campaigns

As the municipality election is only around a week away, all mayoral candidates in Rangunia and Sitakunda municipalities of Chittagong are busy campaigning with their election pledges from early morning to midnight.

Visiting the areas, The Daily Star found that the lanes and by-lanes were abuzz with campaigns.

In Rangunia, people expect that the future mayor will resolve the problems of river bank erosion as the municipality is situated on the banks of the Ichhamoti and Karnaphuli. Besides, they demand that the problems of dilapidated roads and public toilets be resolved.

Dula Miya, whose houses have been devoured by the Ichhamoti, said people of the area would cast votes for the candidate who would take steps to check the river bank erosion.

Harun-ur Rashid, a CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver, said many wards had to face waterlogging during monsoon as the municipality had no drainage system.

In Ichhakhali, some vehicles of the Awami League candidate Shajahan Sikdar and BNP's Helal Uddin Shah were seen campaigning by playing folk songs to attract voters.

Locals said the vote battle will basically take place in the December 30 polls between the two candidates. Shajahan is the religious affair secretary of AL north district unit, while Helal is the joint convener of the BNP's Rangunia municipality unit.

The two other candidates are Islami Front's Abdur Rahman Jami and independent candidate Mojjamel Haque.

In Sitakunda, during their campaigns all six mayor aspirants are pledging to resolve the major problems, including waste management and poor condition of roads.

Most of the roads in ward no 8 have remained in dilapidated conditions and they are not paved, said seventy-year-old Monzurullah. Lawyer Nasir Uddin said both AL- and BNP-backed mayors were elected in the last two terms but major problems of the area were not resolved.

Posters with symbols and photos of candidates are hanging overhead in the whole area. The aspirants are moving door to door to seek votes.  Badiul Alam is AL candidate. But there are two rebel AL candidates -- Siraj-ud-Daula and Safiul Alam. Jatiya Party's candidate Nurun Nabi Bhuiyan is also contesting.

BNP nominated Abul Mansur while Jamaat's municipality unit Amir Tawhidul Hoque Chowdhury is contesting independently.

Tawhidul, an accused of 32 violence cases, is still absconding. His wife Kamruzzahan and other family members are campaigning for him.