HC questions legality of excluding two unions from Bhanga

The High Court has issued a rule asking why the government’s decision to exclude Algi and Hamirdi unions from Faridpur-4 constituency and attach them to Faridpur-2 should not be declared illegal.

The bench of Justice Md Mojibur Rahman Mia and Justice Bishwajit Debnath issued the rule on Tuesday (Sept 16) following a preliminary hearing on a writ petition filed by two nomination aspirants for the upcoming 13th national parliamentary election.

Advocate Humayun Kabir Pallab, counsel for the petitioners, said the court questioned why Article 125(a) of the Constitution should not be declared contradictory to the Constitution, why Section 7 of the Representation of the People Order (RPO) should not be struck down, and why the gazette notification should not be declared void.

The court has asked the respondents, including the Election Commission, to reply within 10 days.

Earlier, nomination seekers Shahidul Islam Babul, general secretary of Krishak Dal, and Supreme Court lawyer Mahbubur Rahman Dulal sent a legal notice to the Election Commission seeking cancellation of the gazette.

On September 4, the Election Commission published a final gazette notification on the redrawn boundaries of all 300 constituencies. Under the revised map, Algi and Hamirdi unions were detached from Faridpur-4 (Bhanga, Sadarpur, and Charbhadrasan) and added to Faridpur-2 (Nagarkanda and Saltha).

The petitioners argue that the redistricting unfairly alters the electoral composition of Faridpur-4 ahead of the 13th parliamentary election.