Demand for Reinstating Five Parliamentary Constituencies in Satkhira District
Times24.net: The Satkhira Development and Coordination Forum (SDCF) has called for the reinstatement of five parliamentary constituencies in Satkhira district. This demand was made in a press release issued by the Forum on Friday.
According to the statement, Satkhira is a border district, rich in agriculture and natural resources, yet it remains deprived of adequate development even after 54 years of independence. Long-standing disparities in political and administrative representation have denied the people of this district equal access to development and fair political voice.
As per the 2022 Population Census, Satkhira has a population of 2,196,582, of which 80.3% reside in rural areas and 19.7% in urban areas. Main sources of income include agriculture (62.56%), trade (16.23%), services (4.86%), labour (4.33%), and industry (1.51%)—highlighting the predominantly rural and agriculture-based character of the district.
In this context, the Satkhira Development and Coordination Forum strongly demands the reinstatement of the five parliamentary constituencies that were originally established in 1986. In 2006, the number of constituencies in Satkhira was reduced from five to four, which negatively impacted both local development and political representation. The 2006 redistribution did not adequately reflect local demographics or administrative needs.
The proposed five parliamentary constituencies are:
Satkhira‑1: Tala & Kolaroa, Satkhira‑2: Satkhira Sadar, Satkhira‑3: Debhata & Kaliganj, Satkhira‑4: Assasuni, Satkhira‑5: Shyamnagar
As a coastal district, Satkhira is highly vulnerable to salinity, river erosion, flooding, tidal surges, and climate change impacts. The district suffers from underdeveloped infrastructure, inadequate health and education services, lack of climate adaptation measures, and insufficient progress in constructing sustainable embankments along the coast. The marginal population continues to face numerous challenges. Due to limited parliamentary representation, these issues remain largely unaddressed at the national level.
Iqbal Masud, Convener of the Forum and Joint Secretary General of the Greater Khulna Samity, stated in the press release: “With fewer constituencies, Satkhira’s problems and potential are not being adequately represented nationally. The 2006 redistribution failed to consider key issues such as marginalized communities, geographic distance, climate vulnerability, and development needs. Reinstating the original five constituencies will accelerate development in remote areas.”
Afsar Ali, Advisor to the Forum’s Convening Committee and Treasurer of the Greater Khulna Samity, added: “With five constituencies, our remote areas will advance more rapidly and the voices of our people will be heard more effectively in the National Parliament.”
Mostafa Bakuluzzaman, Executive Member of the Satkhira Zila Samity and Forum Convening Committee Member, and SM Mehedi Hasan, Joint Secretary of the Samity and Forum Convening Committee Member, also stated in the press release that reinstating the original five-seat structure of 1986 would strengthen both development efforts and administrative capacity in the district.
The press release also highlighted that shrimp, mangoes, and other agricultural exports from Satkhira, along with tourism potential (especially the Sundarbans), make major contributions to the national economy. However, inadequate parliamentary distribution has hindered the district from fully realizing its potential.
The Satkhira Development and Coordination Forum strongly asserts that with over 2.1 million residents, mostly rural and agriculture-based and facing severe climate vulnerability, the district requires special development planning and fair political representation. For these reasons, the Forum and other concerned stakeholders are demanding the reinstatement of the five-seat constituency.
The Forum emphasizes that this process must be free from political or administrative bias, and that constituency boundaries should be redrawn based on local public opinion. The government is urged to take immediate and effective action to ensure equitable development in Satkhira.
