The Election Commission (EC) has put the parliamentary elections in the Pabna 1 and Pabna 2 constituencies on hold, citing an ongoing legal battle over constituency boundaries and a directive from the country’s highest court.
The suspension follows an order issued by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on January 5, which intervened in a dispute concerning the delimitation of the two seats, officially numbered 68 and 69.
Acting on that order, the commission decided to defer the polls scheduled for February 12, 2026, until further instructions are received from the court.
The decision was outlined in an Election Commission circular dated January 6, though it was made public several days later.
Officials said the move was necessary to avoid holding elections under uncertain legal conditions.
The controversy traces back to September 4 last year, when the Election Commission issued a gazette redefining the boundaries of all 300 parliamentary constituencies. The changes affected 46 seats nationwide, including the two constituencies in Pabna district.
Under that notification, Pabna 1 was made up solely of Santhia upazila, while Pabna 2 included Sujanagar and Bera upazilas.
However, the High Court Division later intervened, prompting the commission on December 24 to issue a revised gazette restoring the earlier boundaries of the two constituencies.
Under the revised arrangement, Pabna 1 comprised Santhia upazila along with Bera Municipality and four unions of Bera upazila, while Pabna 2 covered Sujanagar upazila and the remaining parts of Bera, excluding those areas.
The revised boundaries were subsequently challenged. Jamaat e Islami candidate for Pabna 1, Mohammad Najibur Rahman, along with the Election Commission itself, filed separate petitions with the Appellate Division seeking a stay on the High Court ruling.
On January 5, the Appellate Division ordered that the revised gazette would remain ineffective until leave to appeal petitions are formally filed.
As a result, the original delimitation published on September 4 continues to apply for now, keeping Pabna 1 limited to Santhia upazila and Pabna 2 covering Sujanagar and Bera upazilas.
With the legal process still unresolved, the Election Commission has opted to suspend the elections in both constituencies, leaving their future timelines dependent on the court’s next decision.
