Bangladesh: Protestors besiege local election office over constituency cuts

Dhaka, Sep 18 Several protestors in Bagerhat district of Bangladesh besieged the local election office for the third consecutive day on Thursday, demanding that the district's previous four constituencies be reinstated.

The demonstrators under the banner of the Sorbodolio Sommilito Committee (All-Party Joint Committee) set up tents and staged a sit-in outside the district election office from morning, while small processions arriving from nearby areas joined in, local media reported.

They assured no hartal or blockade would be announced prior to the Durga Puja festival, yet the sit-in will continue until their demands are addressed

“We have submitted a petition to the High Court, and the court has initially issued an order for a 10-day period. We will continue our movement until our demand is met. If necessary, we are ready to escalate with non-cooperation programs,” Bangladeshi media outlet UNB quoted MA Salam, co-convenor of the committee and president of Bagarhat district BNP, as saying.

The protest erupted after the Election Commission (EC) issued a gazette notification on September 4, redrawing the boundaries of 46 constituencies across Bangladesh.

The notification reduced the number of constituencies in Bagerhat from four to three. Since then, people in Bagerhat have been staging demonstrations, including blockades, sit-ins, and processions demanding reinstatement of the district's previous four constituencies.

Earlier on Tuesday, the HC issued a rule questioning why Bagerghat’s parliamentary constituencies should not remain four and also sought an explanation as to why the EC's gazette notification reducing the number of seats to three should not be declared illegal.

Citing court sources, Bangladesh’s leading daily, The Business Standard, reported that the EC and other relevant authorities have been asked to respond to the rule within ten days

Last week, protests swept through several parts of Bangladesh after the EC announced fresh constituency cuts ahead of the general elections slated for February 2026, according to local media reports.

In Faridpur's Bhanga upazila, residents began a three-day road and rail blockade on September 14 to protest the transfer of Algi and Hamirdi unions into the Faridpur-2 constituency from Faridpur-4.

Additionally, a dawn-to-dusk protest kicked off in Pabna's Bera upazila, enforcing both road and river route blockades against the removal of Bera upazila from the Pabna-1 constituency.

Bangladesh has been gripped by numerous protests and extreme lawlessness since the democratically elected government of Awami League, led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was overthrown during violent protests last year.

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