The Election Commission (EC) has issued a definitive statement to quash reports suggesting that the national elections for the Pabna-1 and Pabna-2 constituencies have been postponed. In a formal press note disseminated through the Press Information Department on Friday, 9 January, the Commission clarified that no decision to halt the voting process in these regions has been reached.
The official intervention came after several media outlets published reports claiming the polls were suspended due to ongoing legal complexities surrounding constituency boundaries. The EC has explicitly requested that these news organisations withdraw their reports, labelling the claims as inaccurate and potentially damaging to the electoral atmosphere.
The Judicial Backdrop of the Boundary Dispute
The confusion stems from a legal tug-of-war regarding the delimitation of these two seats. On 24 December, the EC issued a notification intended to reinstate the original boundaries for Pabna-1 and Pabna-2. This move was subsequently challenged, leading to a significant ruling by the Appellate Division on 5 January. A bench presided over by Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury stayed the implementation of the EC’s revised boundary notification, pending further judicial review.
Table: Summary of the Pabna Constituency Legal Conflict
| Jurisdiction | Legal Action / Milestone | Impact on Electoral Timeline |
| Pabna-1 | Appellate Division stay on boundary notification. | Procedural pause on specific delimitation tasks. |
| Pabna-2 | Appellate Division stay on boundary notification. | Procedural pause on specific delimitation tasks. |
| High Court | Original ruling on boundary reinstatement. | Contested by the EC and a private candidate. |
| Election Commission | Formal denial of poll postponement (9 Jan). | Polls confirmed to proceed as scheduled. |
Misinterpretation of Official Comments
The media frenzy was ignited earlier on Friday when comments from Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud were taken out of context. The Commissioner had noted that, in accordance with the Supreme Court’s stay order, certain administrative activities related to those specific seats would remain in abeyance until the court provided further direction.
However, he later clarified his stance to ensure the public was not misled. “The election itself has not been postponed,” Commissioner Masud emphasised. “It is merely that specific electoral activities related to the disputed boundaries are temporarily on hold until the court issues its next order. The overall election remains on course.”
The Commission’s swift rebuttal highlights the sensitivity of the pre-election period, where misinformation regarding candidate eligibility or poll cancellations can lead to significant public unrest. The EC remains firm in its commitment to conducting the February general election across all constituencies, provided the judiciary resolves the technical delimitation hurdles in the coming weeks.