Constituency Demarcation: Bagerhat protesters besiege local EC office
The High Court has issued a rule asking why directives should not be given to retain four constituencies in Bagerhat, and why the Election Commission’s decision to reduce the seats to three should not be declared illegal.
Leaders and activists of the All-Party United Committee today morning (17 September) laid a siege to the Bagerhat election office, demanding the retention of four parliamentary seats in the upcoming national election.
Processions from various areas began arriving around 9 am, converging outside the District Election Officer's office, where protesters blocked the main gate, preventing officials and staff from entering.
According to the schedule, the demonstrators will continue their siege of the election office until 1 pm.
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Meanwhile, the High Court has issued a rule asking why directives should not be given to retain four constituencies in Bagerhat, and why the Election Commission's decision to reduce the seats to three should not be declared illegal.
The Election Commission and other relevant authorities have been asked to respond within 10 days, the protesters said.
Committee leaders stated that, due to the upcoming Durga Puja of the Hindu community, the previously announced hartal was postponed.
The siege of the election office will continue, and protesters vowed to sustain both legal and street movements until their demand is fulfilled.
"All programmes of hartal have been suspended considering Durga Puja, the losses of traders, and the sufferings of common people," said Mohammad Yunus, member secretary of the committee and district secretary of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.
"But we will not back down. Until Bagerhat regains its four constituencies, the movement will continue. We hope the High Court's rule will pave the way for justice," he added.
On 30 July, the Election Commission proposed reducing Bagerhat's four constituencies to three ahead of the 13th parliamentary election.
Shortly after the announcement, locals launched protests and later attended EC hearings demanding the restoration of all four seats.
On September 4, the EC finalised the gazette, keeping only three seats, sparking further outrage.
According to the gazette, the new constituencies are Bagerhat-1 (Sadar-Chitalmari-Mollahat), Bagerhat-2 (Fakirhat-Rampal-Mongla), and Bagerhat-3 (Kachua-Morrelganj-Sarankhola upazila). Previously, elections were held in four constituencies.
