Poll campaign creates temporary employment for youths in Barisal
Saturday, 2 August 2008
BARISAL, Aug 01 (BSS): Poll campaign for mayoral and councilor candidates has become a temporary income source for many youths and women in Barisal city as they are being offered attractive amount to woo voters.
The opportunity has an apparent impact on higher purchasing power among the beneficiaries, especially at a time of sky-rocketing food and oil price, though buying voters or influencing them through money is a clear violation of election code of conduct.
Youth drug addicts, who are desperate for money, got a chance to collect Phensidyl, heroin and other drugs after getting lump- sum amounts everyday from candidates or their agents.
The drug addicts expressed satisfaction, saying now they don't need to bother their parents for money to buy drugs. The drug-addict youths are mostly being recruited at the poll publicity camps for night shifts, a time convenient for addiction with peers.
Toll collections, threats, thefts and other untoward incidents have come down in the city as most of the drug addicts got engaged in electioneering since July 14 last.
These campaign assistants, who were always found hither and thither in the city, now engaged themselves in hanging posters, miking, entertaining voters with tea and cigarettes and beetle leaves.
A good number of employees of Barisal City Corporation (BCC) and some other government offices have also engaged themselves in
the election campaigns finding it a new source of income, even at times hampering their duties.
The demand for women workers is high as they have easy access than men to households. Full-time workers are being paid Taka 300 to Taka 350 per day while part-time workers get half of the amount per day, candidates said.
The candidates are hiring the workers for distribution of leaflets, accompanying them while they go door-to-door for meeting voters and for taking part in election processions.
Hailing the present situation, some of the campaign workers said that they have now the ability of three meals a day due to the extra income from candidates.
The opportunity has an apparent impact on higher purchasing power among the beneficiaries, especially at a time of sky-rocketing food and oil price, though buying voters or influencing them through money is a clear violation of election code of conduct.
Youth drug addicts, who are desperate for money, got a chance to collect Phensidyl, heroin and other drugs after getting lump- sum amounts everyday from candidates or their agents.
The drug addicts expressed satisfaction, saying now they don't need to bother their parents for money to buy drugs. The drug-addict youths are mostly being recruited at the poll publicity camps for night shifts, a time convenient for addiction with peers.
Toll collections, threats, thefts and other untoward incidents have come down in the city as most of the drug addicts got engaged in electioneering since July 14 last.
These campaign assistants, who were always found hither and thither in the city, now engaged themselves in hanging posters, miking, entertaining voters with tea and cigarettes and beetle leaves.
A good number of employees of Barisal City Corporation (BCC) and some other government offices have also engaged themselves in
the election campaigns finding it a new source of income, even at times hampering their duties.
The demand for women workers is high as they have easy access than men to households. Full-time workers are being paid Taka 300 to Taka 350 per day while part-time workers get half of the amount per day, candidates said.
The candidates are hiring the workers for distribution of leaflets, accompanying them while they go door-to-door for meeting voters and for taking part in election processions.
Hailing the present situation, some of the campaign workers said that they have now the ability of three meals a day due to the extra income from candidates.