The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The Election Commission has re-demarcated 133 out of the 300 electoral constituencies to remove big discrepancies in number of voters.

Announcing the draft of delimitation at a press conference Tuesday, Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda said the draft gazette notification relating to the task has already been sent to the BG Press for publication.

He said: "Anyone concerned in a specific constituency can file objections on the draft (delimitation) till June 1 to the Commission. After this, the hearing will be held on the objections till June 20 or 25 at the Commission. The demarcations will be finalised and the national elections will be held accordingly."

Any person, who will file objection, must hail from the concerned locality of the constituencies, CEC Huda said, adding that the objections would have to be filed in five copies.

He said it would have to be mentioned in the objection "where a discrepancy has been made in the demarcation that we've done in accordance with our set principles. We can't take into account anyone' s individual advantage or disadvantage."

The delimitation process, he informed, has been done as per the Constitution and the Delimitation of Constituencies Ordinance 1976.

Earlier, on January 8, the EC first came up with their primary plan of delimiting the parliamentary constituencies, one of the five components of the Commission's election roadmap.

As per the draft of delimitation, the number of constituencies has risen to 94 from the existing 90 in Dhaka division, while the number of constituencies reduced to 21 from the existing 23 in Barisal division.

In the Chittagong and Khulna divisions, one constituency has been reduced in each, while the number of constituencies in Rajshahi and Sylhet divisions remained as before.

CEC Huda said administrative integrity of small districts, including the three hill districts, has been protected in the delimitation suggested in the draft. At least one constituency has been allocated to each of the three hill districts - Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban - in accordance with the population. Other small districts have got at least two constituencies.

However, the constituencies in Dhaka district have been raised to 20 from the existing 13, as these were delimitated broadly to maintain the equilibrium of the huge population in the metropolis.

The 133 delimitated constituencies: Kurigram 2 and 3, Bogra 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7, Rajshahi 2, 3 and 6, Sirajganj 1, 2, 5, and 6, Jessore 3, 4, 5 and 6, Khulna 2, 4, 5 and 6, Satkhira 3, Barguna 1 and 2, Patuakhali 1 and 2, Barisal 2, 3 and 4, Pirojpur 1, 2 and 3, Tangail 5 and 6;

Jamalpur 2, 3, 4 and 5, Mymensingh 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7, Netrakona 1, 4 and 5, Koshoreganj 1 and 2, Manikganj 1, 2 and 3, Munshiganj 1, 2 and 3, Dhaka 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 (and the newly formulated constituencies Dhaka 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20), Gazipur 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, Narsingdi 1, 2, 3 and 5;

Narayanganj 2, 3, 4 and 5, Faridpur 2, 3 and 4, Shariatpur 2 and 3, Sunamganj 4 and 5, Sylhet 1, 2, 3 and 4, Moulvibazar 1, 2 and 4, Habiganj 1 and 4, Brahmanbaria 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6, Comilla 1, 2, 7, 8 and 10, Chandpur 1, 2, 3 and 4, Feni 2 and 3, Noakhali 1, 2 and 3, Laxmipur 2 and 3, and Chittagong 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 13.