Verdict upheld to restore Faridpur-4 constituency boundaries to previous state

The Appellate Division's Chamber Court has upheld a High Court verdict that declared illegal the Election Commission's gazette linking Algi and Hamirdi unions of Bhanga upazila under the Faridpur-4 constituency with Nagarkanda upazila of the Faridpur-2 constituency.

At the same time, the chamber court has fixed 4 January for hearing the EC's appeal on the matter before a full bench of the Appellate Division headed by the Chief Justice.

The order was passed today (23 December) by the chamber court of Appellate Division Justice Md Rezaul Haque after hearing the Election Commission's appeal seeking a stay on the High Court verdict.

Counsel for the writ petitioners, Barrister Humayun Kabir Pallab, confirmed the matter to reporters. On 11 December, the High Court declared illegal the EC notification that attached Algi and Hamirdi unions of Bhanga upazila under the Faridpur-4 constituency to Nagarkanda upazila of Faridpur-2, following a hearing on a writ petition.

On 22 September, the High Court had issued a rule asking why EC's notification, published to reassign the two unions, should not be declared illegal. The writ petition was filed by five individuals, including BNP nomination aspirant for the Faridpur-4 constituency Md Shahidul Islam Babul, and Supreme Court lawyer Md Mahbubur Rahman Dulal, ahead of the 13th national parliamentary election.

On 4 September, the EC published the gazette, transferring Algi and Hamirdi unions from Faridpur-4 to Faridpur-2. In protest against the decision, road blockades were first enforced on two highways on 5 September, during which a three-day ultimatum was announced. As the demand was not met, fresh blockades began on the morning of 9 September, followed by morning-to-evening demonstrations for three consecutive days.