With the 13th parliamentary election approaching, a direct-to-voter communication drive has taken shape in Tangail-5 (Sadar) with the launch of a public telephone booth branded “Janatar Sangjog” to connect residents straight to the candidate.
The booth was inaugurated on Thursday afternoon at Dyenna Union by BNP-nominated paddy sheaf candidate and party publicity secretary Sultan Salauddin Tuku.
Under the initiative, 30 booths will be installed across the constituency, including 12 in unions and 18 in municipal wards, placing the service within easy reach at union parishad and ward levels.
Each booth will carry a dedicated telephone enabling residents to contact Tuku directly, with the aim of allowing complaints, needs and local problems to be raised without intermediaries, he said.
Addressing the inauguration, Tuku said the move was designed to answer criticism that elected representatives are often inaccessible.
“Press one button and the call connects to my phone,” he said, adding that people would be able to speak to him directly on any issue and would not need go-betweens after the election.
“If you elect me, you will not have to travel far to raise your problems,” he said, promising to remain available from within each union and to serve the constituency for the full five-year term.
The rollout forms part of a broader outreach strategy that has seen Tuku intensify door-to-door engagement, listen to grievances and outline solutions as he campaigns across the seat.
Local residents said such a direct-contact model could help narrow the gap between voters and their representatives.
Tuku has also unveiled a 23-point development plan, pledging to turn Tangail into a safe, drug-free and extortion-free model town while prioritising job creation and opportunities for educated youth.
He further said that, if elected, he would align national and local development by implementing the 31-point state reform agenda announced by BNP chairperson Tarique Rahman, a pledge that has sparked fresh discussion among voters in the constituency.
