Photo : Collage

KHULNA, Feb 6, 2026 (BSS) – With 402,798 voters, electioneering has intensified in the Khulna-5 constituency, which comprises Dumuria and Phultala upazilas.

Of the total electorate, Dumuria upazila alone accounts for around 303,000 voters. The gender-wise breakdown shows 199,354 male voters, 203,443 female voters, and one voter from the third gender.

Both urban and rural voting dynamics are shaping campaign strategies, with candidates actively engaged in door-to-door canvassing and public outreach programmes to secure voter support.

Talking to voters, it was learned that residents of Dumuria expect honest, competent and accountable representation in the upcoming election.

Their key demands include permanent solutions to waterlogging in Dumuria and Phultala, implementation of Dumuria municipality, road development, excavation and renovation of canals and rivers, job creation for unemployed youth and women, and sustainable improvement of the road communication system.

The establishment of industrial units and agro-processing industries, along with the construction of a modern railway station, has also emerged as an important demand. Teachers, businesspeople, farmers, transport workers and young voters further expressed expectations for a drug-free society, improved public safety and a corruption-free administration.

Several candidates are contesting in the Khulna-5 seat, including BNP-nominated Mohammad Ali Asgar Lobi, Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Professor Mia Golam Parwar, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) candidate Advocate Chittaranjan Goldar, and Jatiya Party candidate Shamim Ara Parvin Yasmin.

However, voters and grassroots-level political analysts consider BNP’s Mohammad Ali Asgar Lobi and Jamaat’s Professor Mia Golam Parwar to be the main contenders.

Highlighting public expectations, the Jamaat candidate said that if elected, he would prioritise the development of roads and communication systems. He also pledged to modernise the district hospital, create domestic and overseas employment opportunities through skill development, eradicate drugs, and ensure fair prices for fertiliser and agricultural produce for farmers.

He further announced plans to establish cold storage facilities for vegetable preservation, expand women’s employment opportunities, and bring unused land under productive use.

Reflecting voters’ aspirations, BNP candidate Mohammad Ali Asgar Lobi said the people of the area have high expectations due to long-standing deprivation from development. He said he has been identifying public needs and problems through regular grassroots-level communication.

If elected, he pledged to work sincerely for the overall development of the area and the implementation of justified public demands, while making every effort to resolve the day-to-day problems of voters.

Meanwhile, Upazila Nirbahi Officer and Assistant Returning Officer Sabita Sarkar said that all preparations have been completed to ensure security and a fair environment at all polling centres.

She warned that strict action would be taken against any attempt to capture polling centres, cast fake votes or intimidate voters, adding that a ‘zero tolerance’ policy would be enforced against irregularities.