Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarkar has stated that there is no opportunity to question the final list of parliamentary constituency boundaries published by the Election Commission before any court or authority according to the law.
Speaking to journalists at the Election Building in Agargaon, Dhaka, on Sunday, he said, “There will be no benefit in staging movements or protests over the boundaries. The commission has completed the work impartially, based on administrative integrity, geographical area, and the latest census.”
He further added, “We are still not clear about who is protesting, why they are protesting, or what they want to say. There could be regional, political, or local reasons.”
Earlier, on Thursday, the EC published the final list of boundaries for 300 constituencies. Changes were made to approximately 52 constituencies. While one seat was added in Gazipur, one seat was reduced in Bagerhat. The 13th National Parliament election will be held under these boundaries.
Meanwhile, while there were celebratory processions in Gazipur over the constituency boundaries, protests and movements are ongoing in various areas.
Md Anwarul Islam said, “The environment for holding the upcoming national election is 100% favourable. So far, no adverse situation has come to the Commission’s notice that could pose an obstacle to the election.”
Regarding the announcement of the schedule, he said, “Our roadmap has been published. It is not possible to specify a date before the schedule is announced.”
On the amendment of the Representation of the People Order (RPO) 1972, he stated, “The proposal we have made will be finalised only after vetting by the Law Ministry. Approval will be given only after checking whether there is any conflict with the constitution or existing laws and regulations.”
Regarding discussions with stakeholders, he said, “The roadmap states that discussions will begin by the end of this month. I hope a final decision on this matter will be made in the next Commission meeting.”
On the increase of seats in Gazipur and the decrease in Bagerhat, he said, “This adjustment has been made based on the number of voters. Gazipur has more voters than the average, while Bagerhat has fewer. The average was about 420,000 voters. Accordingly, one seat has been reduced in Bagerhat.”
