Re-demarcation: BNP, Jamaat-backed alliance calls three-day hartal in Bagerhat over constituency cut
The committee, which includes leaders from the BNP and Jamaat, said the decision has "deeply hurt the hearts of millions of people in the district"
The Sorbodolio Sommilito Committee, backed by BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, has announced a three-day hartal in Bagerhat protesting the Election Commission's (EC) move to reduce the district's parliamentary constituencies from four to three.
The committee made the announcement at a press conference at the Bagerhat Press Club today (7 September).
According to the briefing, the new programme will see a dawn-to-dusk hartal observed on Monday (8 September) in the district and all its upazilas. This will be followed by protest rallies at 5:00pm in every upazila on the next day (9 September), and another dawn-to-dusk hartal on Wednesday (10 September) and Thursday (11 September).
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Reading a written statement at the press conference, MS Salam, former president of the Bagerhat district BNP and co-convener of Sorbodolio Sommilito Committee, said they would also hold a protest rally and distribute leaflets later today.
Maulana Rezaul Karim, the district chief of Jamaat-e-Islami, said, "Since the establishment of the independent state of Bangladesh, Bagerhat has been a victim of various deprivations and losses.
"But the recent blow by the Election Commission's decision has exceeded all previous damages," he alleged.
He described the decision as not only illogical but also an expression of hostility towards the people of Bagerhat, as he demanded that the four parliamentary seats in the district be reinstated immediately.
On 4 September, the EC published the final gazette demarcating all 300 constituencies for the upcoming 13th national parliamentary election.
The commission reduced one parliamentary seat in Bagerhat, despite the locals' expectation that the commission would honour public opinion and retain four seats.
The committee, which includes leaders from the BNP and Jamaat, said the decision has "deeply hurt the hearts of millions of people in the district."
The press conference saw the participation of several leaders of Jamaat and BNP and its affiliated wings.
