Preparations for the upcoming national election are nearing completion in Khulna division, with the Election Commission (EC) almost finalising the draft list of polling centres and updated voter rolls across its 10 districts.
According to EC data, the number of voters in the division has increased by 4.71 percent compared to the last parliamentary election.
The total number of registered voters now stands at 14,080,722. However, the figure may change slightly before the announcement of the official election schedule, suspect officials.
Like previous, the number of female voters has mounted more than male voters this time, indicating the sign of women’s engagement in the electoral process.
Among the 10 districts, Jashore recorded the highest increase in voter numbers while Meherpur positioned on the contrary.
The total number of polling centres in the division has also gone up by 147 but the number of polling booths has decreased by 3,090 compared to the previous election.
EC officials said that data collection and verification work for the upcoming election are almost complete. Information on voter numbers, polling centres and booths of the division has been compiled and requisition letters have been sent to various government and educational institutions for election duties.
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A total of 5,131 polling centres have been initially designated for the next election in the division — up from the 4,984 centres used in the previous election.
However, the number of polling booths has been reduced from 30,253 to 27,163.
The EC reported that the reduction in booths was due to an adjustment in voter allocation per booth from 500 men and 400 women previously, to 600 and 500 respectively in the upcoming election.
Renovation work for polling centres requiring repair is also nearing completion, according to officials.
Regional election officials said that the number of voters is increasing regularly due to new registrations, changes in voter addresses, and other factors.
As of now, according to the EC office, the division’s total number of voters has increased by a record margin of 633,939 since the last parliamentary election. During the 12th election, the total was 13,446,783 but now it stands at 14,080,722, an increase by 4.71 percent.
Of this increase, female voters rose by 343,970, while male voters grew by 289,922.
In terms of district-wise growth, Jashore tops the list with 107,211 new voters, followed by Kushtia with 83,058, Khulna with 78,371, Jhenaidah with 75,291, Satkhira with 70,201, Bagerhat with 64,138, Magura with 51,857, Chuadanga with 43,058, Narail with 35,570, and Meherpur with the lowest increase of 24,640.
Bagerhat saw the largest increase in polling centres with 60, while Chuadanga was the only district to record a decrease, losing 5 centres.
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The number of centres rose by 47 in Khulna, 21 in Kushtia, 7 in Satkhira, 6 in Meherpur, 5 in Magura, 3 in Jhenaidah, 2 in Jashore, and 1 in Narail.
Meanwhile, the number of third-gender (Hijra) voters in Khulna division also rose by 47, bringing the total to 134 registered Hijra voters.
Khulna Regional Election Officer Faisal Quader said, “We have collected all relevant data, including voter lists, polling centers, and booth information for the upcoming national election in all 10 districts of the division. These figures may still change slightly, as voter registration continues.”
He also said the division has seen a record increase in the number of voters, particularly women and that both polling centres and booths have undergone necessary adjustments ahead of the next polls.