Constituency delineation stirs up chaos in districts
Reza Mahmud :
Constituencies’ demarcations drew protests in several districts and created public suffering as the agitators started violations and blocked communications including rail and roads.
Sources said, Bhanga upazila in Faridpur, Bera upazila in Pabna and Bagerhat witnessed strong agitations over the constituency redrawing issue for the past several days.
Though the Election Commission (EC) said they have taken the step after following all the legal procedures and conducting hearings, but the agitators vowed to continue their movement until their demand is fulfilled.
Meanwhile, experts said there is no scope to indulge in violence on opposing the EC’s decision of redrawing the constituencies.
When contacted, Badiul Alam Majumder, Secretary of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN) and the head of the Election Reform Commission told The New Nation on Monday, “The EC has issued gazette notification before starting the constituency demarcations across the country. In this point, there is no room for violating protests over the issue.”
The expert said, “If the locals feel that there are grave losses or harms for the people over the issues, they even can go to court for solving the disputes. But violent agitations are not acceptable.”
The EC on 4 September published a gazette redrawing boundaries in 46 constituencies, sparking protests in several districts.
In Faridpur, demonstrators blocked roads and railways for about 12 hours over the transfer of Algi and Hamirdi unions of Bhanga upazila from Faridpur-4 to Faridpur-2.
On Monday, the agitation turned violent as protesters vandalised Bhanga Police Station and Upazila Parishad, and set fire to the UNO, Election Commission and Officers’ Club offices.
They damaged police vehicles, burned one, and attacked members of the Armed Police Battalion. Eight motorcycles and several parked vehicles were also destroyed.
UNO Md Mizanur Rahman said staff had moved to safety, though offices were vandalised and set ablaze. Locals reported police were chased and forced to shelter in a mosque. Road links between Dhaka and 21 southern districts were cut off, while journalists covering the event were obstructed and injured.
Though blockades began peacefully in the morning, crowds swelled by noon, launching coordinated attacks on government establishments. The unrest drew participation from all unions and the municipality of Bhanga, not just Algi and Hamirdi. Limited traffic resumed after 3:30pm, but protesters vowed to continue until their demands are met.
The violence followed a case filed the night before against 90 named and 100-150 unnamed people, including Algi Union Parishad Chairman and Sangram Parishad coordinator MM Siddique Mia, who was arrested in Nagarkanda on 13 September. The case accused Siddique of leading highway blockades in Bhanga.
Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury warned blockaders to withdraw or face legal action, stressing that road and rail disruptions would not be tolerated.
In Pabna, protesters enforced a dawn-to-dusk hartal in Bera upazila after its transfer from Pabna-1 to Pabna-2. They felled trees on the Dhaka-Pabna highway, halting traffic, while shops and businesses remained shut.
Meanwhile, Bagerhat is witnessing unrest after losing one parliamentary constituency.
The district, long represented by four seats, was reduced to three under the EC’s new gazette despite local objections. The new arrangement merges Bagerhat Sadar, Chitalmari, and Mollahat as Bagerhat-1; Fakirhat, Rampal, and Mongla as Bagerhat-2; and Kachua, Morelganj, and Sharankhola as Bagerhat-3. Initially, the All-Party Joint Committee called a two-day hartal, but later replaced it with half-day sit-ins at election offices across the district and upazilas on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Committee co-convener and former BNP district president MA Salam said the decision was made out of respect for Durga Puja so that celebrations and shopping could proceed without disruption.
Despite protests and hearings, the EC upheld its decision, fueling local anger that their demand to retain four constituencies was ignored.
With the 13th national election approaching, boundary changes in Faridpur, Pabna, and Bagerhat have triggered widespread agitation, road blockades, and violent clashes, underlining the volatile impact of the EC’s constituency reshuffle.