EC Proposes Major Overhaul of Parliamentary Constituencies

EC Mulls Major Constituency Redrawing Based on Over 400 Public Applications

The Election Commission (EC) is considering a significant overhaul of parliamentary constituency boundaries ahead of the next national election, based on logical public demands and recent legislative changes.

Following the promulgation of the National Parliament Constituency Delimitation (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, the EC began preparing a new demarcation of the 300 parliamentary seats in line with existing laws. As part of this process, it has so far received at least 416 applications from over 60 constituencies seeking boundary changes—many advocating a return to the 2001 demarcation.

The EC has prioritized applications backed by reasonable arguments and is also weighing census data, administrative coherence, and geographic factors. Officials revealed that 90% of submissions sought the restoration of the 2001 boundaries, with most applications coming from BNP leaders, including former MPs and local representatives.

Pirojpur-2 saw the highest number of submissions (103), followed by 92 for Cumilla-10. Additional requests include 38 applications demanding a new seat in Manikganj and nine for an extra seat in Chandpur.

Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarker confirmed the EC is carefully evaluating each proposal. “We are reviewing the logic behind the applications. If the arguments are valid, they will be considered—but that doesn’t mean all requests will be granted,” he told UNB. He emphasized that existing boundaries remain logical in many cases.

The draft delimitation will be published in a gazette for public objections. After resolving those, the final version will be gazetted ahead of the election. EC officials anticipate substantial changes—especially in city areas like Dhaka and Chattogram, where seat numbers may shrink, while rural areas could gain representation.

This would mark the first major constituency shake-up since 2008, when over 100 seats were redrawn. In comparison, only 50, 25, and 12 constituencies were altered before the 2014, 2018, and 2024 elections, respectively.

However, former local government secretary Abu Alam Shahid Khan warned that redrawing boundaries without consensus among the government, EC, and judiciary could trigger legal challenges and delay the election. “Though it’s a routine task for the EC, failure to build consensus could lead to court petitions and jeopardize the election timeline,” he cautioned.

Among the 66 constituencies involved in the current demands are Satkhira-3 and 4, Rangpur-1, Barguna-1 and 2, Pirojpur-1 and 2, Kishoreganj-2, several seats in Manikganj, Munshiganj, Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Rajbari, Faridpur, Shariatpur, Sylhet, Brahmanbaria, Cumilla, Chandpur, Feni, Noakhali, Chattogram, Gaibandha, Sirajganj, Jashore, Jhalokathi, and Barishal.