53 constituencies get new boundaries

The Election Commission has redrawn the boundaries of 53 parliamentary constituencies in 19 districts, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad said yesterday.
However, the number of constituencies in each district has remained unchanged as it was during the last parliamentary polls in 2008.
At a meeting yesterday, the EC finalised the boundaries of the constituencies for the next general election supposed to be held at the end of this year.
"An official gazette on the redrawn boundaries of the parliamentary constituencies will be published today [yesterday] to this effect," the CEC told newsmen after the meeting.
The redrawn constituencies are Rangpur-1, 3; Kurigram-2,3,4; Bogra-1,5; Jessore-3, 4, 5, 6; Khulna-1, 6; Patuakhali-1,2,3; Pirojpur-1,2,3; Jamalpur-2,3; Mymensingh-2,3,4; Netrakona-2,5; Dhaka-14,19; Gazipur-2,3; Narsingdi-1,2,3,5; Naraynganj-3,4; Sunamganj-4,5; Brahmanbaria-1,2,3; Comilla-6,7,8,10; Chandpur-1,2; Chittagong-5,6,8,13,14 and 15.
Earlier in February, the EC had proposed changes to boundaries of 87 parliamentary constituencies in 28 districts.
The ruling Awami League had opposed changes to any constituencies. But the main opposition BNP had alleged that the government was exerting pressure on the EC      in redrawing the boundaries.
In the proposals, 13 out of the 20 parliamentary seats of Dhaka district were to have major changes in their boundaries. But finally changes have been made in the boundaries of only two seats -- Dhaka 14 and 19.
The number of parliamentary constituencies in the capital was eight before the last delimitation of boundaries. But it increased to 15 in 2008 and the EC had to reduce the number of seats in rural areas to meet the capital's demand.
Against this backdrop, the previous EC led by ATM Shamsul Huda had proposed to reduce the number of constituencies in the capital from 15 to 10 to protect the interests of the rural people.
The EC then had argued that if the boundaries were redrawn on the basis of population, the capital would get two or three more seats as its population has been growing   fast.
But the present EC did not accept the previous EC's proposal. After publishing the proposals, the EC disposed of complaints filed against its proposals. And now it has come up with the final list.