Despite being engaged in preparatory work for the 13th National Parliamentary Election in December, the Election Commission (EC) faces a deadlock over the redrawing of parliamentary constituency boundaries.
Without amendments to the existing law, the commission is unable to proceed with redistricting.
Although a proposal for legal revisions has been submitted to the government, the lack of progress has stalled the process.
If the necessary amendments are not made in time, the EC is considering holding elections using the previous, disputed boundaries.
According to a national daily, boundary-related disputes exist in 55 parliamentary seats, with the EC having received over 360 applications requesting re-delineation.
EC officials have assured that public appeals will be prioritised once the legal framework is updated, but until then, the process remains in limbo.
The commission has also noted that at least six months are required to complete seat redistribution, making swift legal amendments crucial if the election is to proceed smoothly in December.
Meanwhile, the Election System Reform Commission, formed by the interim government, has proposed shifting the responsibility of boundary delimitation from the EC to an independent commission.
Arguing that redistricting is a complex and time-consuming task requiring specialised expertise, the reform body has questioned whether the EC possesses the necessary skills to handle the process.
The EC, however, has formally opposed this proposal, sending a letter to the Reform Commission rejecting the need for a separate boundary commission.
The EC contends that the proposed redistricting formula would disproportionately increase seats in urban areas.
Commenting on the matter, Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam stated that the EC has already submitted its recommendations for legal amendments and is hopeful for a prompt resolution.
However, he acknowledged that if the law is not revised in time, the elections will have to be held based on the previous constituency boundaries.
