Dhaka polls: Six women are determined to battle it out

As Dhaka gears up for the city elections, six women running for local offices have kicked off their campaigns after receiving their polling logos.

A total of 586 aspirants are contesting the elections for the posts of councillors in 129 general wards under the bifurcated city corporations under non-partisan symbols. Among them, 335 candidates are seeking election as ward councillors in Dhaka North with another 251 hopefuls vying for the post in Dhaka South.

The ruling Awami League has nominated Aleya Sarwar Daisy and Helen Akhter for the ward councilor's posts while the BNP nominees are Ferdousi Ahmed Mishti, Sajeda Ali Helen, Shahida Morshed and Meherunnesa.

They are all optimistic about their chances in the elections and have vowed to overcome all obstacles ahead of them to pave the way for more women to contest the polls in future.

DAISY-HELEN FROM AWAMI LEAGUE

Aleya Sarwar Daisy, who held a reserved women's councilor posts in the DNCC five years ago, is contesting the election to general ward No.31 with the ‘spinning top’ symbol.

She believes gender has little bearing on a candidate's capacity to perform in office.

“I always believe that I’m capable. I have the capacity and self-confidence to complete any task. We differentiate among men and women when it comes to work, but I believe I can do anything,” she told bdnews24.com.

According to Daisy, women are not given enough opportunities to work in Bangladesh as a result of the patriarchal nature of society.

“Our party chief, speaker and education minister are all women. So we can do everything. As a councillor from a reserved seat, I completed many tasks which the general councillors couldn't. I am facing many challenges but I have the courage and strength to confront them. I learned from Hasu Apa [Sheikh Hasina] that one can overcome any adversity if they have courage and confidence.”

Pointing to the obstacles on her path to election, Daisy said: “I’ll move forward by braving all hurdles. I want to work for as long as I live. I’m aware of my self-confidence. I have also worked as a panel mayor.”

Daisy, the vice president of the Jubo Mohila League's central committee, expects more women to contest in the direct elections in future.

“Earlier, no woman would directly contest the seats in the general wards but would seek election to the reserved posts. Now that everyone is aware of their rights, women have courage and confidence to participate in the direct elections. We want the number to be higher.”

Helen, a councillor from a reserved ward in the last election, is vying for the general councilor's post in DSCC's ward No. 45 in DSCC. She is contesting the polls with the ‘kite’ as her election symbol.

“It’s a new challenge for me. I got the opportunity to contest the general ward election as I assisted the people through different development works. I succeeded in earning their faith. Our party chief has nominated me after taking all my achievements into account,” she told bdnews24.com.

BNP’S SAJEDA-FERDOUSI IN NORTH AND SHAHIDA-MEHERUNNESA IN SOUTH

BNP candidate Sajeda unsuccessfully ran for election to ward no. 24 in the 2015 Dhaka city polls. A former councilor from a ward reserved for women, Sajeda is eyeing the councilor's post in the DNCC's general ward No. 36 this time. Her election logo is the ‘basket’.

“I completed many development projects as a councillor. I’ll try to redress the area's drainage system and the menace of drugs and mosquitoes if I win the election this time. I’ll surely be elected if there is a fair and non-partisan election as I have the support of the locals,” she said.

Reflecting on her experiences in office as a councillor, Sajeda pointed to the derision she faced from her male counterparts and described her second run for election as a challenge.

“It’s a challenge for me to contest for the councilor's post in a general ward for the second time. I consider myself a human being and a contestant rather than being defined by my gender. I was subjected to harsh words from the general councilors when I was the councillor from a reserved ward. They used to say that I won’t understand anything when I participated in any development or infrastructural work.”

“Therefore, I want to challenge these perceptions by getting elected from a general ward.”

Ferdousi, the BNP candidate in DNCC ward No. 8, is contesting the general ward councilor elections for a third time using the symbol of a ‘push-cart.’

Ferdousi is the wife of former councilor of ward No.8 Sayeedur Rahman Newton and sister of BNP leader Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu. She won the by-polls to her husband's ward following his death in an ‘attack’ in 2002.

She vowed to work against violence if elected and said: “Violence in neighbourhoods went down after I won the election. I resolved the problems related to gas supply lines and reclaimed encroached lands by removing illegal structures and made playgrounds for children. I did all these with the support of the people.”

Ferdousi, however, aired concerns about the fairness of the ballot on Jan 30 after her party boycotted the last city polls midway through voting alleging irregularities.

“In the last election, I was leading my opponent by a big margin until 10 pm before we boycotted the polls two hours later. It was futile to lodge complaints with the Election Commission over the irregularities in the election. We hope there won't be any irregularities this time as I have the support of the people.”

Shahida, the BNP candidate for general councillor of ward No.27 in DSCC, is contesting the election with the ‘spinning top’ symbol. Lamenting the unwillingness of women to contest the direct elections, she believes the notion that women should only run for the reserved wards should be discarded.

“It’s not that women are not getting the party tickets.  They are unwilling to step forward and take part in the direct elections. From the beginning, I have been a member of the BNP, not the Mohila Dal [an affiliate of the BNP]. Everyone in the party supported me. I didn’t face any problem. It’s obvious that the main challenge will come from the opponent, be it a man or woman.”

The other BNP-backed candidate in the DSCC races, Meherunnesa, who is vying for the councilor’s post in ward No. 38, expressed concerns over the use of electronic voting machines or EVMs in the election.  She is contesting in her second direct election with the ‘radio’ symbol.

“The irregularities that took place in the general elections may affect this election as well. We can see many such signs. I’m worried if there’ll be a fair election through the use of EVMs,” said Meherunnesa.

“I urge the Election Commission to ensure that I can cast my own vote and miscreants don’t prevent voters from coming to the polling centres.”

Her prime focus will be ensuring the development, peace and discipline in her constituency, if she wins, she said.