Election Commission (EC) is facing complexity with boundary disputes in 55 out of 300 constituencies, as it prepares for the 13th national elections.
A total of 365 applications seeking rectification of constituency boundaries remain pending with the EC, with the highest number of complaints emerging from Cumilla, Gaibandha, Pirojpur, Manikganj, Narayanganj, and several constituencies within Dhaka.
Earlier, in 1984 and 1991, in 2008, the Dr. ATM Shamsul Huda Commission brought changes to the boundaries of more than a hundred constituencies for the ninth parliamentary elections. Then the Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed Commission brought minor changes to 50 constituencies in the tenth parliamentary elections. Before the eleventh parliamentary elections, the Election Commission published a gazette on April 30, 2018, changing the boundaries of 25 constituencies.
Meanwhile, the EC has planned to complete the work of delimiting the constituencies by next June, keeping in mind the thirteenth parliamentary elections. There are 365 applications pending on the current EC's table regarding the complexity of the boundaries of 55 constituencies. The EC has sent the law related to the delimitation of constituencies to the relevant ministry for some amendments. The EC will be able to officially start working once it receives the revised copy of this law.
Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarker told Bangladesh Pratidin that many people have objections and demands regarding the boundaries of the constituencies. We have 365 applications related to 55 constituencies pending with us. The solution sought by the applicants cannot be done under the existing law. Therefore, the law has been sent to the concerned ministry for amendment.
He said, “Our target for updating the voter list has been fulfilled and we will be able to finalize it by June. We had sent some proposals including some printing mistakes in the Delimitation Act to the Law Ministry for vetting. We have not received the final copy of it. Maybe it is under process. If there is an amendment, we will be able to do the delimitation. Otherwise, the election will have to be held as it is. We plan to do this within June.”
The Election Commissioner also said, “We will prepare the panel of polling persons by July-August. We will exchange views with politicians and other stakeholders, including law enforcement agencies.”
When asked about the time frame for completing the work, Anwarul Islam said, “We are thinking of being ready by July-August. Because we have to publish the manual of the amendments that are coming in the law. These things have to be distributed again. Then we have to arrange training at all levels from the field level. This is a huge task; if we think of announcing the schedule in October, then we have to make all our preparations within July and August. We are moving towards that goal. As per the announcement of the Chief Advisor, we are taking all kinds of work forward by targeting December.”
Data analysis has shown that there is no population balance in the constituencies of many districts. Cumilla and Mymensingh districts have 11 constituencies each. Cumilla has a population of more than 5.3 million. Mymensingh has a population of more than 5.1 million. Tangail, with a population of 3.6 million, has 8 constituencies. On the other hand, Gazipur has a population of more than 3.4 million and Narayanganj has a population of more than 2.9 million, but both districts have five constituencies each. Similarly, Chuadanga has two constituencies with a population of more than 1.1 million.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
