Barguna, Aug 24 (V7N) – Residents of Barguna staged a mass human chain and rally on Sunday morning, urging the Election Commission to reinstate the district's three parliamentary constituencies. The event was held at the Barguna Press Club premises, where community leaders, politicians, journalists, and citizens voiced concerns that the reduction from three seats to two has deprived the region of fair development and representation.

Speakers at the event emphasized that Barguna’s geographical area, population, and administrative structure justify three constituencies. According to official data, Barguna spans 1,831.31 square kilometers and has a population of approximately 1.25 million spread across six upazilas.

Historically, Barguna was divided into three parliamentary constituencies after independence:

  • Barguna-1 included Barguna Sadar and Betagi,

  • Barguna-2 included Patharghata and Bamna,

  • Barguna-3 included Amtali and Taltali.

However, on July 10, 2008, during the tenure of the military-backed caretaker government, the Election Commission restructured the constituencies, reducing them from three to two. The new boundaries merged Barguna Sadar, Amtali, and Taltali into Barguna-1, while Patharghata, Betagi, and Bamna were combined to form Barguna-2.

Local residents and political leaders claim that this change was politically motivated and served vested interests. Speakers alleged that the move was an abuse of power aimed at benefiting a particular group by limiting Barguna’s political influence.

Prominent figures at the rally included Barguna Press Club President Advocate Sohel Hafiz, former President Zakir Hossain Miraj, Senior Vice President Zafar Hossain Hawlader, Hafizur Rahman of the Print Media Forum, Rezaul Islam Titu of Bandar Club, journalists Mosharraf Hossain and others, BNP leader Abul Kalam Azad Hawlader, former union chairman Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal Titu, and acting President of the District BNP Women’s Wing Sharmin Sultana Asma. The event was moderated by Supreme Court lawyer Murad Khan.

Speakers warned that if the three-seat structure is not reinstated, the people of Barguna will be forced to escalate their movement. They argued that without fair representation, the district’s development will continue to suffer.

Following the Election Commission’s failure to restore the three seats in its draft gazette published on July 30, at least 130 residents of the district submitted formal appeals on August 10 demanding the original structure be reinstated. The commission has scheduled a hearing on the appeal for August 25.

Local voices continue to assert that only the restoration of three constituencies can ensure justice and balanced development for the district.

END/MRR/SMA/