Leaders and activists of the All-Party Joint Committee have surrounded the district election office in Bagerhat, demanding that all four parliamentary seats in the district be retained.

Activists gathered in front of the district election officer's office around 9:30 am on Tuesday, arriving in processions from various locations and surrounding the main gate. Election officials and staff were reportedly unable to enter the office during the protest.

Earlier on Monday, two separate writ petitions were filed in the Supreme Court seeking the retention of all four seats. One petition was submitted by Barrister Sheikh Mohammad Zakir Hossain on behalf of the Bagerhat Press Club and the District Bar Association, while another was filed by lawyer Mohammad Akhtar Rasul on behalf of Islami Andolan Bangladesh's nominated parliamentary candidate Mujibur Rahman Shamim. The petitions name the Government of Bangladesh, the Chief Election Commissioner, the Election Commission Secretary, and the Attorney General as respondents.

MA Salam, co-convenor of the All-Party Joint Committee and former president of Bagerhat unit of BNP, said, "Considering the largest festival of the Hindu community, Durga Puja, and the interests of businesspeople, we have withdrawn the hartal programme. However, we have staged a sit-in at the election office, which will continue until noon today. Tomorrow, the sit-in will resume from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm."

Sheikh Mohammad Yunus, secretary of the committee and secretary of the Bagerhat district unit of Jamaat-e-Islami, said, "Two writ petitions have already been filed, and preparations for more are underway. We are confident that justice will be served in court."

The controversy began on July 30 when the Election Commission initially proposed reducing Bagerhat's four parliamentary seats to three ahead of the 13th national parliamentary elections. Since then, protests have been ongoing. Activists participated in hearings at the Election Commission demanding the retention of all four seats. Despite these appeals, the Commission finalized a gazette notification on September 4, keeping three seats with only boundary adjustments. The All-Party Joint Committee criticized the Election Commission for ignoring public demands.