EC to decide on delimitation of constituencies next week

The Election Commission (EC) is going to hold a meeting the next week to decide on demarcation of the boundaries of parliamentary constituencies given the size of population, number of voters and size of area.
The existing law, to this effect, will need a change to legitimize the delimitation. As per the existing law, the EC cannot delimit boundaries of parliamentary constituencies without amending the existing law.
A High Court verdict is also needed to publish the draft delimitation of boundaries of constituencies.
The EC will then publish the draft list of the constituencies that are going to be delimited. A source in the EC said it needs to change the boundaries of about 60 out of the 300 parliamentary seats of the country.
Population, density of population and administrative area were the major criteria for demarcating boundaries of parliamentary constituencies in the earlier national elections, said experts.
Former Joint Secretary of the EC Lutfar Rahman Biswas appointed recently as the consultant for the task said: "I am still scrutinizing the delimitation process and it is almost ready," he told the Daily Observer on Wednesday.
Possible reconstruction of the constituencies include Thakurgaon  2 and 3; Nilphamari 3 and 4; Kurigram 3 and 4; Sirajganj-1 and 2; Pabna 1 and 2; Chuadanga 1 and 2; Jhenaidah 2 and 4; Jessore-3 and 4; Magura-1 and 2; Narail 1 and 2; Khulna 3 and 5; Satkhira 3 and 4; Jamalpur 4 and 5; Mymensingh 3 and 4; Manikganj 2 and 3; Dhaka, 2, 3, 4, 14 and 19; Gazipur 3 & 5; Narsingdi 1 and 2; Faridpur 2 and 4; Gopalganj 1 and 2; Madaripur 2 and 3; Sylhet 2 and 3; Maulvibazar 2 and 4; Brahmanbaria 5 and 6; Comilla 10; Noakhali 1, 2, 4 and 5; Lakshmipur 2 and 3, Chittagong 7, 8, 12, 13, 14 and 15.
Local Government expert Dr Tofail Ahmed on Wednesday told the Daily Observer: "If the EC wants to delimit the boundaries of the constituencies it may create political debate."
The EC has already started the preparatory work to delimit the boundaries ahead of the eleventh national parliamentary election across the country.
Muhammad Abdullah, EC Acting Secretary told the Daily Observer on Wednesday that the boundary demarcation will be completed by March 2018.
In this regard the EC has recently formed a committee headed by Election Commissioner Md Rafiqul Islam.
The EC will share its decision with the political parties, civil society, media and former election commissioners to decide on the constitutional areas in the country.
The EC committee is working to prepare a draft policy on boundary delimitation. After completing the discussion with the stakeholders, the EC committee will finalize the new policy, said the secretary.
The current boundary delimitation of parliamentary seats was done on the basis of the last population census in 2011, he said.
Earlier, the boundaries were delimited just on the basis of population but this time the EC will take into consideration the total population, the number of voters and the total area, said commissioner Kabita Khanom.