Labourers in Khulna’s industrial areas are the key voters in the upcoming Khulna City Corporation (KCC) polls. Mayoral candidates have been campaigning in full force in the areas.
According to past elections, the worker voters have a huge sway on election results. There are 440,556 voters in 31 wards in Khulna city. Among them, about 60,000 voters are in the city’s Rupsa, Doulatpur and Khalishpur industrial areas.
Workers at the People’s Jute Mill (now Khalishpur) and the Doulatpur Jute Mill regained their lost jobs after the incumbent government reopened the said mills.
On the other hand the Khulna Hardboard Mill, Textile Polli, the Newsprint Mill and the Dada Match Factory are yet to be reopened. “Everyone begs for our votes but forgets us after the election,” said Md Awal, a worker at the Khulna Hardboard Mill. Similar discontent with the ruling party prevails among the workers at these factories. A man who used to work at the Dada Match Factory said: “They value us only during elections. Afterwards, they forget us. We will vote only for those who will keep their promises.”
Md Abdullah, a schoolteacher from ward 8, said at least 4,000 out of the 6,000 voters in his locality were workers at different nearby factories like the Platinum Jute mill, the Crescent Jute Mill, the Khalishpur Jute Mill and the Khulna power plant. He said the workers were united and in every election, most of them voting for the same candidate.
Awami League-backed Talukder Abdul Khaleque said: “The government has reopened the mills that were closed during BNP government’s tenure. I know worker voters won’t disappoint me.” Talukder said the government was going to reopen the other mills soon.
Moniruzzaman Moni, the mayoral candidate backed by the 18-party alliance said: “The current government has failed to keep their pledge to reopen closed mills.”
He said if he were elected mayor, the Khulna City Corporation would give all the support needed to reopen the mills and to establish new ones.
