The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Barisal

Date for upazila election has not yet been announced but election campaign has already begun in the six districts of Barisal Division. Names of about two hundred candidates are in the air as all the political parties are getting prepared for the contest.

Awami League, after winning all the four city mayor contests, are now bent upon to do well in the upazila election while local BNP leaders and workers are also unwilling to keep away from the polls even if their central leaders do not accept it. BNP leaders of Barisal believe that Barisal Division is a strong fortress of their party and is to be defended at any cost. They further believe that any vacillation on the part of the party will only do harm to the party in future.

A crucial problem which, however, confronts both BNP and Awami League is the number of rival candidates from the same party for the same post. More than 200 candidates are already in the campaign for the posts of chairman of 26 upazilas of Barisal division. Out of them 80 are from Awami League, 72 from BNP, 15 from Jatiya Party, 4 from Jamaat, 6 PQR, 3 from Communist Party, 2 from JSD 1 from Gano Forum while others are Independent candidates.

In Ujirpur Upazila of Barisal district where Moinul Hoque, Advocate and son of Nonna Mia is a contestant from Awami League and is a very formidable candidate, none from BNP has yet appeared on the scene. But several names are also in the air. In all other upazilas, however, candidates from both major parties have begun to approach the voters.