Sharif M Shafique

Although Lalbagh and Chawkbazar areas of Old Dhaka are economically vital wholesale hubs, residents of this region continue to grapple with deep-rooted civic problems.

The Dhaka-5 constituency, spanning the eastern edge of the capital and covering Jatrabari and Demra police stations, is currently alive with election campaigning.

Rina Hijra has lived in the Commissioner Mor area, beside Dhamrai Thana Road, since birth. Over the decades, she has watched the rural landscape change -- mud roads paved, markets expand, and living standards improve.

A group of students were chatting at a tea stall on the Jahangirnagar University campus; their conversation centred on the upcoming national election.

The election in the Uttara area -- widely seen as a crucial gateway to the capital -- has drawn intense attention from the outset.

Abul Hossain has been running a roadside shop in Khilgaon for decades.

As the national election approaches, the nation’s attention has converged on Dhaka-8, a constituency at the heart of the capital’s administrative and commercial life.

In the afternoon, a group of tired workers and locals were sipping tea at a roadside stall in front of an iron factory in the Jalalabad area of Muradpur under Kadamtali in the capital.

An election procession began at Mohammadpur Beribadh, passed Mockbul Hossain College in Katasur, and ended in front of the Mohammadpur bus stand.

Along Pragati Sarani -- the lifeline of eastern Dhaka -- stands the International Buddhist Monastery. During a recent visit, its vice-principal, Buddhananda Mahathero, prayed for national peace.

Tanima Mahjabin, a resident of Elephant Road, has been a victim of mugging at least five times in Dhanmondi and Kalabagan.

Kahkasan, a young woman from the Bihari Camp in Mirpur-11, lives under the constant fear of eviction. Growing up in the congested camp, she has faced a lack of water, gas, and other civic rights, alongside persistent health risks and an unstable environment.

Rejwana Islam, a resident of Rakin City in Mirpur, has grown up watching the women in her neighbourhood being politically conscious and active, and vocal about local issues.

As the sun set, a tea stall on the slope of Rainkhola near Mirpur Zoo buzzed with speculation. A group of young men debated whether the upcoming national election would affect personal relationships in the neighbourhood.

Although the official window for election campaigning begins on January 22, aspirants for the upcoming 13th national election are already active on the ground, engaging in various forms of “mass contact” to woo voters.

A new political alliance is likely to be launched today, involving the National Citizen Party, Amar Bangladesh (AB Party), United Peoples (UP) Bangladesh, and Rashtro Songskar Andolon.

Jatiyo Chhatra Shokti aims to pursue anti-establishment and oppositional politics, following its rebranding from BGCS.

Ibrahim Hossain Rony, vice president (VP) candidate from the Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed “Sompritir Shikkharthi Jote” panel in the upcoming Chittagong University Central Students’ Union (Cucsu) elections, pledged accountability if elected.

Dhrubo Barua, vice-president candidate from the “Boichitrer Oikya” panel in the upcoming Cucsu elections, has pledged to build a democratic, occupation-free, and safe campus by introducing a “Campus Charter” with active participation of students, if elected.

He said holding the Cucsu election after 36 years is a major achievement for post-July Bangladesh