The High Court has declared the Election Commission’s (EC) decision to reduce Bagerhat’s parliamentary constituencies from four to three as illegal and ordered that all four constituencies be reinstated.
A bench of Justice Sashanka Shekhar Sarkar and Justice KM Zahid Sarwar delivered the verdict on Monday after the final hearing of a rule issued on the matter.
Barrister Sheikh Mohammad Zakir Hossain represented the petitioners during the hearing.
Earlier, on September 16, another High Court bench comprising Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Biswajit Debnath issued a rule asking why the EC’s gazette reducing Bagerhat’s constituencies should not be declared illegal and why an order should not be given to maintain the four existing seats.
The EC and other relevant authorities were asked to respond within 10 days.
The petitions were filed by several local organizations and political parties, including the Bagerhat Press Club, District Bar Association, BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolon Bangladesh, and the District Truck Owners’ Association. The respondents named in the petitions were the Government of Bangladesh, the chief election commissioner, the EC secretary, and the attorney general.
Ahead of the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election, the EC had proposed on July 30 to reduce Bagerhat’s constituencies from four to three. The move sparked widespread protests from local political groups, who formed an all-party coordination committee and organized strikes, blockades, and demonstrations demanding the reinstatement of all four seats.
Despite the protests, the EC published its final gazette on September 4, dividing the district into three constituencies: Bagerhat-1 (Sadar, Chitalmari, Mollahat), Bagerhat-2 (Fakirhat, Rampal, Mongla), and Bagerhat-3 (Kachua, Morrelganj, Sharankhola).
Since 1969, Bagerhat had four constituencies:
- Bagerhat-1: Chitalmari, Mollahat, Fakirhat
- Bagerhat-2: Sadar, Kachua
- Bagerhat-3: Rampal, Mongla
- Bagerhat-4: Morrelganj, Sharankhola
