Pabna Correspondent:

Residents of Pabna-1 staged a human chain in front of the Nirbachon Bhaban in Agargaon, Dhaka, on Tuesday demanding restoration of the constituency’s previous boundary.

Hundreds of residents from the constituency joined the sudden demonstration, chanting slogans such as “We reject the illegal gazette,” “Santhia and Bera are brothers,” and “We do not accept division.”

Asaduzzaman Nayan, former president of Bera municipal unit of Chhatra Dal, said: “We are here on behalf of the people of Bera upazila in Pabna-1 to demand restoration of the previous boundary. The distance between Bera and Santhia upazilas is less than 8km, while Bera and Sujanagar are nearly 40km apart. So geographically, connecting Bera with Santhia is more logical.”

Salman Hossain, convener of Chhatra Dal’s Bera College unit, said: “We are demanding restoration of the previous Pabna-1 boundary with Santhia and part of Bera. We will continue our movement until our demand is met.”

THE PROTESTERS PLACED SEVEN ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT OF RESTORING SANTHIA WITH PART OF BERA:

1. Geographical proximity: The distance between Bera and Santhia upazilas is less than 8km, while the distance between Bera and Sujanagar upazilas is around 40km.
2. Voter balance: Santhia has around 3.17 lakh voters, which aligns with EC rules. Combining Bera with Sujanagar would result in nearly 4.63 lakh, far above the guideline.
3. EC guidelines: According to EC rules, the voter difference between constituencies should not exceed 30%. Combining Bera with Sujanagar would increase the difference by about 40%, violating this rule.
4. Educational and cultural ties: The people of Santhia, Bera, and Sujanagar share similar educational, cultural, and social backgrounds, making Santhia-Bera ties more rational.
5. Ports and communication: Bera has three river ports — Bera, Nagarbari, and Kazirhat. Under the previous boundary, one fell under Pabna-1 and two under Pabna-2. If Bera is merged with Sujanagar, all three would shift to Pabna-2, leaving Santhia without any port.
6. Administrative balance: If part of Bera joins Sujanagar, the latter would have two municipalities and 19 unions, while Santhia would remain with only one municipality and 10 unions. This would create imbalance in service delivery.
7. Historical precedent: For over 40 years, the EC had considered geography, culture, and communication when defining Pabna-1 as Santhia plus part of Bera, and Pabna-2 as Sujanagar plus part of Bera.

On September 4, the Election Commission published a gazette finalizing the boundaries of 300 constituencies, placing Santhia under Pabna-1, and Sujanagar and Bera under Pabna-2.

In response, Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarker said the demarcation was carried out with “utmost caution and impartiality,” adding: “There is no scope to question it in court or before any other authority.”