Two Bangladeshi-Canadian candidates face off in Ontario by-election

Two candidates of Bangladeshi origin are set to compete against each other in the September 3 by-election for Scarborough Southwest in Ontario, drawing growing attention from the local Bangladeshi community.

Ahsanul Hafiz of the Ontario Liberal Party and Dr ASM Nurullah Tarun of the Progressive Conservative Party are among six candidates contesting the provincial seat. The other candidates are Fatima Shaban of the Ontario NDP, Mark Bakering of the Green Party, Chris Rees of the New Blue Party and independent candidate Michael Perdelwitz.

The candidates will take part in a public debate on Tuesday, August 18, ahead of the vote. The event, scheduled from 6:30pm to 8pm at the West Scarborough Neighbourhood Community Centre, will focus on issues affecting residents, including the cost of living, housing, food security and poverty.

Daily Bread Food Bank, Scarborough United Neighbourhoods and South Asian Women’s and Immigrants Services are jointly organising the debate. Reza Khoshdel, executive director of Community Centre 55, will moderate the event.

Hafiz moved to Canada from Bangladesh about 25 years ago as an international student and later established himself in business and politics. He currently serves as vice-chair of the Ontario branch of the federal Liberal Party. He is also associated with about 30 Domino’s Pizza franchise locations in Ontario and serves as a director of Domino’s Corporation, according to his campaign profile.

Tarun, meanwhile, has worked as a family physician in Scarborough Southwest for many years. His long-standing involvement with the local community and social activities has made him a familiar figure in the riding. His campaign says it has built a strong grassroots operation through membership drives, volunteer mobilisation and local outreach.

The role of former provincial MPP Dolly Begum is also being closely watched. Begum represented Scarborough Southwest in the Ontario legislature after winning the seat in 2018. She resigned from the provincial legislature in February this year and joined the federal Liberal Party before winning the April 13 federal by-election in the same area. Her resignation triggered the current provincial by-election.

Begum has not publicly endorsed any candidate so far.

Advance voting will be held on August 26, 27 and 28 from 10am to 8pm. Polling day is September 3, with voting scheduled from 9am to 9pm.

With a sizeable Bangladeshi electorate in Scarborough Southwest, the contest between the two Bangladeshi-Canadian candidates has added an unusual dimension to the race. Local political observers are now watching closely to see whether the community’s voters could play a decisive role in determining the outcome.