Poll participation by enclave people remains uncertain
The people of Batrigachh enclave under Durgapur union in Aditmari upazila of Lalmonirhat district, who saw voter enrolment for the last time in 1990, are yet to know whether they will be able to exercise their right to franchise in the upcoming union parishad election. Photo: STAR
Voters of 29 Bangladeshi enclaves under Lalmonirhat district face uncertainty over taking part in the upcoming union parishad polls, as the Indian authorities concerned are yet to issue any letter allowing the enclave people to cross the border during election days June 4 and 14. Revealing the information, Jahangir Alom Rakib, acting election officer of Lalmonirhat district, said yesterday, "I have already sent all the necessary papers about enclave voters to the chief election commissioner, requesting necessary steps to enable the enclave people to cast their vote in the upcoming UP polls. But I am yet to get any response from the Election Commission as of today [Wednesday]." “As soon as I get any positive response from the Election Commission, I will call an emergency meeting for taking necessary steps to ensure exercising voting right by the enclave people,” he said. Thirty-three Bangladeshi enclaves under Lalmonirhat district are situated within the Indian Territory. Of them, only Angorpota-Dahogram is connected with the mainland through an Indian corridor and the inhabitants of this enclave have been exercising their voting right since 1992. A good number of Bangladeshi people live in 29 other enclaves while three enclaves Bura Sarodubi and Amjhol under Hatibandha upazila and Basuya Khamar under Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila are without any population. District election office sources said 5,605 voters were enrolled in 29 enclaves in 1990. Of them, 2483 voters from four enclaves -- Nolgram and Folanpur of Bawar union under Patgram upazila and Kisamot Batrigachh and Batrigachh of Durgapur union under Aditmari upazila got the opportunity to franchise in the parliament and local polls in 1991. But the voters of other enclaves did not get the opportunity due to hard restriction imposed by Indian Border Security Force (BSF). After the polls in 1991, the voters from these 29 enclaves did not get the chance to exercise their voting right in the main land as Indian authorities did not allow them to cross the border. The 5,605 Bangladeshi voters enrolled in 29 enclaves include 157 (male 82, female 75) at Balapukuri, 56 (26 male, 30 female) at Shivnath-1, 58 (male 35, female 23) at Shivnath-2, 63 (male 33, female 30) at Jomgram, 975 (male 535, female 440) at Nolgram, 206 (male 104, female 102) at Seat Nolgram, 340 (male 176, female 164) at Folanpur under Bawra union, 147 voters (male 77, female 70) at Jot Nizzoma under Sreerampur union, 476 voters (male 215, female 261) at Seat Panbari, 200 (male 104, female 96) at Panbari-1, 27 (male 15, female 12) at Panbari-2, 53 (male 25, female 28) at Kuchlibari, 672 (male 350, female 322) at Seat Kuchlibari Kuchlibari union, 25 voters (male 13, female 12) at Dhabolguri-1, four (male two, female two) at Dhabolguri-2, two (male 1, female 1) at Dhabolguri-3, 25 (male 15, female 14) at Dhabolguri-4, 52 (male 27, female 25) at Dhabolguri-5, 156 (male 75, female 81) at Kakeya Bari under Jongra union, 207 voters (male 105, female 102) at Dhabolsuti Mirgipur, 42 (male 22, female 20) at Dhabolsuti, 54 (male 28, female 26) at Mahol Dhabolsuti under Patgram union, 58 voters (male 30, female 28) at Jagotber-1, 55 (male 29, female 26) at Jagotber-2, 33 (male 18, female 15) at Jagotber-4 and 37 voters (male 20, female 17) at Vandardah under Jagotber union of Patgram upazila, 958 voters (male 543, female 415) at Kisamot Batrigachh and 210 (male 108, female 102) at Batrigachh under Durgapur union of Aditmari upazila in Lalmonirhat district, the election official added. These voters of 29 enclaves were enrolled in 1990 and but the enclave people did not get the opportunity to become voters afterwards as the Indian authorities did not allow Bangladesh officials to enter the enclaves through Indian territory for the purpose, the election official said. Patgram upazila parishad Chairman Ruhul Amin Babul said Bangladesh government should take necessary steps to solve the problem of enclave people through high level discussions between the two countries.
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