EC opens hearings on objections to redrawn constituencies Sunday

The Election Commission is set to begin hearings into objections to proposed constituency boundaries for the upcoming 13th parliamentary election.

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin and the four election commissioners will preside over the hearings at the EC headquarters in Dhaka on Sunday.

The process will run for four days, starting with cases relating to 18 constituencies in the Cumilla region. Objectors or their authorised representatives have been asked to attend.

Sunday’s hearings will cover Brahmanbaria-2, 3 and 5, Cumilla-6, 9, 10 and 11, Noakhali-1, 2, 4 and 5, Chandpur-2 and 3, Feni-3, and Lakshmipur-2 and 3, according to the EC.

The draft boundary plan, published on Jul 30, redrew all 300 constituencies to balance voter numbers. It proposed reducing Bagerhat’s constituencies from four to three, while increasing Gazipur’s from five to six.

By Aug 10, the EC had received 1,760 objections regarding 83 constituencies. Officials said the hearings will continue until Aug 27, after which the final boundaries will be announced.