Wind blows against war criminal in Khulna-6

Khulna-6 will witness an all out battle between pro - and anti- liberation forces in Monday's national election, observe leaders and workers of Awami League led 14-party grand alliance.
Grand alliance nominee freedom fighter advocate Sohrab Ali Sana of Awami League is fighting four-party alliance's Shah Mohammod Ruhul Quddus, a Jamaat-e-Islami leader.
Shah Mohammod Ruhul Quddus is on the list of 600 war criminals in the country, announced by Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad recently.
Polls campaign by the Jammat leader suffered a big jolt after his name appeared on the list of war criminals published in some vernacular national dailies in Dhaka.
Locals said Shah Ruhul Quddus, who headed the Paikgacha Peace Committee during the War of Liberation, is gradually losing ground to seek vote from people.
People of Khulna-6 comprising Paikgacha and Koira upazilas were so long not aware that he was on the list of war criminals, said prominent Awami League leader in Paikgacha Sheikh Belaluddin Bilu.
But prominent leaders of Paikgacha and Koira upazila units of Jammat claimed that the 'boat' will sink in the surge of 'our candidate's unchallenged popularity'.
On the other hand, AL leaders in the two upazilas said they do not even count Ruhul Quddus as a factor in the poll race.
Apart from his anti-liberation role as president of Paikgacha peace committee in 1971, Ruhul Quddus remained isolated from people of his constituency most of the time after he was elected for the first time from Khulna-6 in 2001 election.
Allegations have it that he and his relatives were allegedly involved in toll collection from 15,000 bawalies in the Sundarbans, who are inhabitants of Khulna-6 area.
The 15,000 bawalies, most of them hailing from Koira upazila, may be a factor in the coming poll, locals said.
“We want to live from hand to mouth instead of being biased by religion-based politics of Jamaat”, said a prominent leader of Khulna district Bawali Association requesting anonymity fearing reprisal from Jamaat cadres after election.
Over 10,000 fishermen hailing hailing from the constituency also have similar views against Jamaat.
A large number of the fishermen have started campaign in favour of 14-party candidate advocate Sohrab Ali Sana of AL.
Being worried, Ruhul Quddus has adopted a new technique to win women voters.
Women activists and supporters of Jamaat started door-to-door visits since Tuesday. They are trying to infuse religious sentiments among women voters and asking them to discard temporal happiness for eternal peace.
Yet, the wind is blowing against the listed war criminal, political circles believe.
There are 2,81,292 voters in Khulna-6, said sources at Khulna district election office.