Awaiting judgments on 14 petitions concerning constituency redrawing, according to the Secretary
The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh is awaiting a decision from the High Court regarding the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies, following a series of writ petitions challenging the recent boundary changes.
The High Court has asked the EC to explain why directives should not be given to retain all four Bagerhat constituencies and why the EC's decision to reduce them to three should not be declared illegal. This question arises from the EC's publication of a draft delimitation on 30 July, proposing boundary changes in 39 constituencies across 14 districts.
The delimitation, which affected 46 constituencies across 16 districts, was finalized on 4 September. The current commission, headed by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, has re-demarcated 46 constituencies across various districts.
Notably, the new boundaries have sparked protests in several areas, including Bagerhat, Faridpur, and Brahmanbaria. In Bagerhat, leaders and activists of the "Sorbodolio Sommilito Committee" have been protesting for the third consecutive day, demanding that all four parliamentary seats be retained. Protesters in Bagerhat have been holding sit-ins, pitching tents, and receiving small processions from surrounding areas.
The EC and other authorities have been given 10 days to respond to the High Court's query. Secretary Akhtar Ahmed has expressed confidence in the judiciary and stated that they will wait for the court's decision. Akhtar Ahmed also noted that while Section 7 of the Delimitation of Constituencies Ordinance, 1976, states that the validity of constituency delimitation cannot be questioned in court, the High Court accepted the writs because fundamental rights allow anyone to file petitions.
It's important to note that historically, previous commissions have also re-demarcated constituencies. For instance, Kazi Habibul Awal-led commission re-demarcated 10 constituencies before the 12th national election, KM Nurul Huda's commission changed 25 constituencies ahead of the 2018 election, Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad's commission redrew 87 constituencies before the 10th election, and ATM Shamsul Huda's commission made major changes to 133 constituencies ahead of the 9th general election in 2008.
Following this, the commission received 1,893 applications containing claims, complaints, and suggestions regarding 84 constituencies. The High Court has issued a 10-day rule, and the movement may escalate to non-cooperation programmes if needed. Akhtar Ahmed stated that violence is unexpected under any circumstances and emphasized that the commission will abide by whatever decision comes from the court.
A person or organization that has submitted 14 writings to the higher court challenging the newest electoral districts is not directly identified in the provided search results. However, MA Salam, co-convener of the committee and former Bagerhat BNP president, has stated that they have submitted a petition to the High Court.
The protesters have vowed to continue their protests without announcing any hartal or blockade before Durga Puja. Akhtar Ahmed stated that he does not think it is within his authority to provide any legal interpretation at this time.
As the situation develops, the EC and the public await the High Court's decision, which could have significant implications for the upcoming elections.
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