Industrial workers to play a decisive role
Workers, employees and officials of different mills and industries who form at least thirty percent of total number of votes in Khulna-2, 3 and 4 seats have become a vital factor in deciding the winners in December 29 national election.
The total number of voters in these three constituencies in Khulna city and district is 6,64,131, according to Khulna District Election office sources.
No matter whom the general people will vote for, voters serving in mills and factories will ultimately play a decisive role on the outcome of the polling, political circles believe.
According to leaders of different local professional organisations, at least ten different types of mills and factories in Khulna city and district were shut down during last decade throwing thousands of workers, employees and officials out of jobs and also depriving them of their arrear wages and salaries.
Workers and employees of mills and industries no more want to be used as instruments for political blackmailing, said former Secretary General of Greater Khulna Development Action Coordination Committee (GKDACC) Sheikh Ashrafuzzaman.
Election results of these three out of six parliamentary seats will give vent to feelings of these jobless people of these mills and factories but also for politicisation of their demands, said prominent Civil Society leader Advocate Feroze Ahmed.
Hungry workers of closed and sick Jute mills, Newsprint mill and shrimp processing factories will take into consideration this time if they will go to polling centres to cast votes reposing their confidence once again in lofty promises of candidates, he said.
"Closure of Khulna Newsprint mill has finished my family like many others," said Karim Sheikh who now seems unconcerned for December 29 polls but concerned for wining struggle for his existence.
Women workers are not also lagging behind their male counterparts in giving their judgment in the upcoming parliamentary election.
"Hell with symbols of candidates as it will not satiate our hunger as we get scanty amount of wages to cope with soaring prices of essentials. We are absolutely fed up with tall talks of candidates," said Amena Begum who works as a day labourer in a brickfield at Rupsha upazila.
Candidates contesting from these three constituencies considered as sensitive are counting this sort of sentiment of the toiling masses fearing an adverse impact on results of elections due to failure of ex-lawmakers to resolve their different crises.
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