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Published : 11 Apr 2026, 05:00 PM
The number of candidates seeking nomination for the reserved seats for women with BNP backing in the parliament has exceeded 600 in two days.
Revealing the number at the party's central office in Naya Paltan of Dhaka on Saturday afternoon, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said more than 500 forms were sold on the opening day, Friday.
“Both the sale and submission will continue [Saturday] and [Sunday],” he added.
Rizvi, also the political advisor to the prime minister, said the process to select candidates by the party’s nomination board will be revealed in a day or two.
According to him, the process is based on the democratic norms followed by the BNP when nominating aspirants for general elections.
Rizvi, however, thinks the party will prioritise those who were vocal on the streets and were subjected to assault, oppression, and false cases during the previous regime.
Rizvi said the number of nomination-seekers is higher than expected because they could not contest in the previous elections or were denied votes in the last 17 years.
As of 1pm, Tariqul Islam Tenzing, the party’s assistant office secretary, confirmed over 600 sales, with up to 79 forms submitted.
Teachers, lawyers, artists, and former Chhatra Dal leaders are also among the candidates for the voting slated for May 12.
Acclaimed singer Kanak Chapa, Bithika Binte Hossain, widow of the former Jatiotabadi Swecchasebak Dal president Shafiul Bari Babu, and some former MPs also bought the forms.
The Election Commission set Apr 21 as the submission deadline, followed by scrutiny in the next two days.
Candidates will be allowed to withdraw until Apr 29.
The reserved seats were allocated based on proportional representation in parliament.
The BNP and its allies are given 36 seats, while the Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance will receive 13 seats and independent candidates will get just one seat.
