The voters of Dhaka-17 are gearing up to elect their new representative in parliament on July 17 even though the next parliamentary election is just a few months away. The seat for the constituency became vacant after the death of Awami League MP and legendary actor Akbar Hossain Pathan, popularly known as Farooque.
Dhaka-17 includes Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara, and part of the Dhaka Cantonment, making it the poshest constituency in the capital. Candidates have already begun campaigning for the by-election, with many of them going from door to door in the hunt for votes.
A total of 8 MP candidates are contesting in the by-polls, with Awami League candidate Mohammad Ali Arafat, independent candidate and YouTuber Ashraful Hossen Alom, or Hero Alom, and Jatiya Party candidate Major (retd) Sikder Anisur Rahman expected to be the main contestants.
Although many policymakers and members of the country's wealthy elite live in the constituency, it is also home to many people from lower-income households. Most foreign diplomatic missions and offices are located in the area, but so are several large bostis, or shanty towns.
The Korail bosti, which is the largest in the country, is one of the bostis in Dhaka-17.
Analysts believe the residents of these bostis will play a crucial role in determining the winner of the by-election as they vastly outnumber the wealthy.
On recent visits to Rasulbagh, Korail bosti (Bau Bazar, Mosabasti, Satlabasti, T&T), Kalachandpur bosti, the Chairman's House area of Gulshan-1, Kacha Bazar area of Gulshan-2, DNCC Market, Amtali, and Banani, this correspondent found that members of the working-class and marginalized groups were keenly interested in the by-polls.
Candidates were seen being more active in the Mohakhali, Korail bosti, Amtali, Rasulbagh, T&T, Kalachandpur, and Jhilpar bosti areas.
Around 5,000-7000 people will cast their votes from bostis near railway lines or godowns. More than 10,000 people will cast their votes from Kalachandpur, Jhilpar, and Nadda Sarkarbari Dulal bostis of Ward no. 18.
About 25,000 people will cast their votes from the Korail bosti of Ward no. 19.
The MP candidates told Dhaka Tribune they were focusing their campaigns on the poor and residents of bostis as the wealthy tend to be disinterested in the by-polls.
Bashir, a voter of the T&T area, said: "When we sit in the tea shops in the area, there are sometimes discussions about voting. I heard that Hero Alam is contesting this seat but I don't know about the other candidates, so I haven't yet decided which candidate to vote for."
Nilufa Begum, a resident of Sat Tala bosti in Korail, she has heard the names of some candidates but does not know anything about them, so she also does not know who to vote for.
Yasir Arafat, a young voter of Dhaka-17, said that he will cast his vote for Mohammad Ali Arafat as he is well-educated and popular television personality, and got the ruling party nomination.,
Taher Hossain, a resident of Mohakhali C Block who works in a private organization, said: "I don't know much about this. I heard that actor Faroouqe was MP of this constituency. Now I don't know about much of this election."
Gulshan-2 resident Taufiq Ali said: "I have no interest in this vote. I don't want to go to the polling centre to cast my vote because I have no confidence in the current vote processing system. Moreover, in elections, with a few exceptions, I never saw anyone doing anything out of self-interest."
Asabuddin, a rickshaw puller and a resident of Ershadnagar bosti, said: "I will vote for those who will think well of us.”
Ratan Haji, a tea shopkeeper, said: "I will vote for those who will develop our area. But once they are elected, they are no longer available. This is what I have learned from the experience of the last 20 years."
Meanwhile, independent candidate Hero Alam alleged that he was attacked while campaigning in the Sat Tala bosti area of Mohakhali on Wednesday. He claimed that local Awami League people attacked him on purpose.
On the other hand, Mohammad Ali Arafat, the candidate from Awami league, said that he is 100% optimistic of victory.
Ensuring a fair election and increasing voter turnout are the main challenges with the election, he added.
Jatiya Party candidate Sikder Anisur Rahman and other candidates are also in the campaign field.
The candidates were allotted their symbols on June 26, and then the official campaign work started from June 27.
Candidates can campaign until 32 hours before the start of polling, so campaigns must end at 12 midnight on July 15.