<i>4 'confident' women candidates</i>
All of them pledge to stop child marriage, dowry
1) An elderly voter blesses Dighi union parishad (UP) chairman candidate Nusrat Islam Nupur during her election campaign, 2) Garpara UP chairman candidate Aloma Begum, also the sitting chairman, conducts a door to door campaign to woo voters, 3) Nabagram UP chairman candidate Masuda Akter does the same, and 4) Atigram UP chairman candidate Nargis Akter Bachcha, also the incumbent chairman, submits nomination paper to the returning officer ahead of the UP election in Manikganj Sadar upazila on June 20. Photo: STAR
Four women contesting for the posts of chairman in the upcoming elections to four union parishads under Manikganj Sadar upazila have pledged to stop child marriage and dowry and work for women's empowerment, if elected. They are Nargis Akter Bachcha, Aloma Begum, Nusrat Islam Nupur and Masuda Akter. The candidates are going door-to-door to woo voters and confident of winning polls scheduled for June 20. Nargis Akter Bachcha, also the sitting chairman of Atigram Union Parshad, is again in the election race to retain the post. She pledged to stop child marriage and dowry in Atigram Union and make it a model union. Her father Alhaji Jahir Uddin Bepari was the chairman of Atigram Union Parishad for 28 years from 1934. After his death, Nargis engaged herself in social work and was elected chairman of the union in 2003. Nargis told this correspondent that he had repaired damaged roads and built new ones in her union during her tenure. “I shall take up some new projects, if elected,” she said, adding that she needs people's mandate again for development of Atigram Union. Aloma Begum was elected chairman of Garpara Union Parshad in a by-poll in February 2005. The post fell vacant following the death of her husband Nasirul Haque Khan Patol in December 2004. She is again contesting the election for the post. Aloma told this correspondent that she constructed roads, culverts in her union during her tenure. She pledged to stop child marriage and dowry and work for empowerment of women in her union “I shall give priority to the election pledges, if voted to power,” she added. Nusrat Islam Nupur is contesting the election to Dighi Union Parishad. Her father Nurul Islam Nuru was the chairman of the union for four consecutive terms. After her father's death in 2009, Nusrat and her mother Saleha Islam, incumbent vice-chairman of Manikganj Sadar Upazila Parishad, started social work in the area. She is campaigning door-to-door to woo the voters and confident of winning the election. Masuda Akter is in the race for the post of chairman of Nabogram Union Parishad. Her husband Gazi Habibur Rahman, popularly known as Monno Gazi, was the chairman of the union. She engaged herself in social work after her husband's death in 1995. Masuda said she will stop dowry and child marriage in the union and make it a model union, if elected.
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