The Election Commission (EC) is redrawing the boundaries of 39 constituencies in the country ahead of the 13th parliamentary election, according to Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarkar.
While talking to journalists at his office at the EC headquarters on Wednesday, the election commissioner said that a specialised technical committee comprising experts has submitted its recommendations for the boundary re-demarcation of parliamentary constituencies.
Among 300 parliamentary seats, 39 are set to be redefined, he said. Claims and objections regarding proposed changes will be accepted until August 10.
Election Commissioner Anwarul explained that the technical committee has proposed increasing the number of seats in districts with larger voters and reducing the number of seats in districts with fewer voters. “Gazipur has the highest number of voters and the committee has proposed adding a seat there,” he said. “Conversely, due to lower voters, the committee has proposed dropping a seat in Bagerhat.”
He reiterated that the boundary redefinition is being carried out based strictly on voter statistics. Districts with more voters will gain seats, and those with fewer voters will lose seats accordingly.
The election commissioner clarified that the EC is authorised under Articles 119–124 of the Constitution to define constituency boundaries for national elections.
To carry out this responsibility, expert opinions were sought and a consensus-based process was followed. The committee also utilised partial data from the 2022 population census for technical analysis.
The gazette notification on new boundaries is expected to be published by tomorrow (Thursday), following EC’s final approval.
A seven-member committee was formed on July 16 to oversee the process. It graded districts based on the number of voters.
The election commissioner noted that districts with only one to three constituencies were not considered for changes, nor were changes proposed in approximately 250 other constituencies where no requests for boundary redefinition were received.
Earlier, Md Rafiqul Haque, System Manager at the Election Commission, confirmed that the technical committee had submitted its report with proposals to redefine the boundaries of existing constituencies. He added that the population and voter data for each of the 300 constituencies were analysed.
Rafiqul Haque also said that now the EC-led committee would review the report and the EC Secretariat would take further steps in this regard.
Over 600 applications were submitted for redefinition of 79 constituencies, based on which the technical committee was formed. The committee has been formed with Md Rafiqul Haque as its head. Other members include Md Mostafizur Rahman, Geographer, KH Rajimul Karim, Cartography Specialist, Moshiur Rahman Rimu, IT Expert, Dr Farhana Ahmed, Urban Planner, Hifzur Rahman, Statistician and Md Delwar Hossain, Senior Assistant Secretary, Election Support-1 Branch.
Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah earlier said that geographical location, administrative convenience, transportation, and legal jurisdiction were key considerations in the boundary redefinition process.
Historical changes in constituency boundaries
Over the past four general elections, the Election Commission (EC) has periodically revised constituency boundaries to ensure proportional representation based on demographic and administrative considerations.
In the 12th Parliamentary Election (2024), although 38 applications were submitted requesting changes, only 12 constituencies underwent minor modifications. The gazette on the updated boundaries was published on June 3, 2023.
For the 11th Parliamentary Election (2018), the EC initially proposed changes in 40 constituencies, but after public feedback and internal review, only 25 constituencies saw slight adjustments. The changes were made public on April 30, 2018.
Ahead of the 10th Parliamentary Election (2014), changes were suggested for 87 constituencies. Following hearings and evaluations, the boundaries of 50 constituencies were revised slightly. The final gazette reflecting these changes was issued on July 3, 2013.
The most extensive reconfiguration took place during the 9th parliamentary election (2008), when the EC proposed boundary changes for 133 constituencies. This redistricting relied heavily on GIS mapping and the most recent population census data, prioritising proportionality, regional integrity, and administrative convenience.
It is worth noting that from 1973 to 2001, the constituency boundaries remained largely unchanged. Significant redistricting efforts were first seen in 1984, followed by another round in 1991, and culminated in the major reforms of 2008, which were introduced under the caretaker government and accompanied by broader electoral law reforms.
