Protesters surround Bagerhat election commission office

Leaders and activists of the Sorbodoliyo Sommilito Committee have surrounded the district election commission office in Bagerhat to reinstate four constituencies in the district on Tuesday. They have also submitted two writ petitions in the Supreme Court in this regard. 

At around 9:30am on Tuesday, several processions of the Sorbodoliyo Sommilito Committee gathered in front of the Bagerhat election commission office and surrounded it. Afterwards, officials were not seen entering the office. 

Meanwhile, two separate writ petitions were placed in the Supreme Court to bring back four constituencies in the district. Barrister Sheikh Mohammad Zakir placed one of them on behalf of the Bagerhat Jela Ainjibi Somiti while lawyer Mohammad Aktar Rosul placed the other on behalf of Mujibur Rahman Shamim, Islami Andolon Bangladesh's chosen MP candidate. 

Sorbodoliyo Sommilito Committee members have said their hartal programme was halted to accommodate the upcoming Sharadiya Durga Puja. However, they will continue to surround the election office. 

The office will be surrounded from 9am to 1pm on Wednesday, too, Sorbodoliyo Sommilito Committee co-convener and district BNP former chairman MA Salam told the Daily Samakal. 

The EC on September 4 issued a gazette notification publishing the final list of demarcation of the 300 parliamentary constituencies for the 13th Jatiya Sangsad elections. In the final demarcation, the number of seats stood at 6 in Gazipur with the increase of one seat, while the number reduced to 3 in Bagerhat, with the decrease of one seat.