Constituency hearings to begin next week
Staff Reporter :
The Election Commission (EC) has finalised the draft action plan for the 13th national parliamentary election and is expected to publish the complete roadmap later this week, EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said on Monday (18 August).
Speaking to reporters at the EC headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka, he confirmed that hearings on the delimitation of 82 constituencies will begin on 24 August and continue for four consecutive days.
Regarding polling arrangements, he said the number of polling centres will remain unchanged, with each centre serving 3,000 voters. “Additionally, where previously 500 voters cast ballots in a booth, the number will now increase to 600,” he added.
Letters have also been sent to field-level offices to verify the activities of 22 political parties that have applied for registration, he noted.
An EC notification issued on Monday outlined the schedule for public hearings on objections and suggestions concerning the re-demarcation of parliamentary constituencies. Chief Election Commissioner AMM NasirUddin will preside over the hearings, assisted by four election commissioners and the EC secretary.
“The Election Commission will resolve objections and suggestions related to constituency boundaries through a public hearing process,” the notice said. It also clarified that no fresh objections will be accepted, and submissions received after the 10 August deadline will not be considered.
Participation in the hearings will be restricted to the original objector, their authorised adviser, or legal counsel, and attendees must present a valid national identity card and all relevant documents. The hearing schedule is final and cannot be altered.
The schedule for the hearings is Cumilla region: 24 August, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram regions: 25 August, Dhaka region: 26 August and Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Faridpur, and Sylhet regions: 27 August.
Ahead of the deadline, the commission received a total of 1,760 objections and suggestions concerning the boundaries of 83 constituencies.
After the hearings, the EC’s legal wing will issue final decisions to the respective parties, paving the way for the announcement of the final constituency boundaries before the national polls.