Despite the absence of the opposition, election in Dhaka 15 (Mirpur-Kafrul) promises to be a tough contest. In this seat, the Awami League-nominated candidate will fight with an independent candidate who is also involved with Awami league’s politics.
For the 10th parliament elections, Kamal Ahmed Mojumdar MP was nominated from Awami League. Ekhlas Uddin Molla, another Awami League politician, is vying independently with the elephant symbol. Another candidate Md Saiful Islam is from ruling ally Jatiya Samajtanrik Dal (JSD).
Ekhlas Uddin Molla was with BNP in the 1996 elections. He joined Awami League in 2008 but failed to get party nomination. After that he decided to contest the polls as an independent candidate. Molla is the brother of Dhaka 16 MP and Awami League candidate Iliyas Uddin Molla. Local Awami activists who oppose Mojumdar are working for Molla openly.
“Mr Mojumdar always makes money. He has very little organisational capability. We want some changes here this time for the sake of our party,” an Awami League activist said, seeking anonymity.
Yesterday the Dhaka Tribune spoke to several voters in the area. Most of the voters are not interested in the election since there is no opposition.
A voter said this was an in-house battle, since both candidates were Awami League leaders.
Last month a mobile court fined Kamal Ahmed Mojumdar Tk25,000 for violating the electoral code of conduct by putting up posters.
This lawmaker received public attention when he assaulted a female television journalist at Monipur High School in Mirpur in 2012. The journalist had gone to the school to interview Mojumdar, the school committee chairman, on the school’s decision to charge admission fees much higher than that fixed by the government.
From Taltola to Mirpur 10 intersection all roads are full with posters of Mojumdar and Molla. This seat has over three lakh voters. Some voters are concerned about security and are unwilling to cast votes. Babu Mia, a businessman from Kazipara, said his family was not interested in voting this year, as they were concerned about security. There are eight voters in his family.
An elephant accompanied by a band marches the length of Rokeya Sarani every day seeking vote for Molla. Many voters however, said this was pointless as most of the time people did not know what it was about.
At Senpara bus stand, Rashedul Hassan, 44, said he would vote for Mojumdar because he was the Awami League candidate.
“An independent candidate can never do anything for people,” he said.
Mojumdar became an MP in Mirpur in a 1991 by-election when BNP MP Harun Rashid died. He was reelected in 1996 and 2008. This time he got nominated against three strong contenders including Jamal Mostafa from Kafrul Awami League and SM Zahid, a Jubo League central leader.
On the other hand Ekhlas Uddin Molla is from a family that has been in politics for three generations. His grandfather was the president of Mirpur Union Parishad for 27 years.
