Reserved women’s seats: Candidates submit nomination forms to EC

Nomination forms can be submitted until 4pm on Tuesday, according to the schedule

Candidates nominated by BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and the independent alliance for the reserved women’s seats in the 13th parliament are submitting their nomination papers to the Election Commission.

Under the schedule announced by the EC, nomination papers can be submitted until 4pm on Tuesday.

Candidates from the Jamaat-led 11-Party Alliance began submitting their nomination papers to the returning officer at the conference room of Nirbachan Bhaban in Dhaka’s Agargaon after 11am.

Of the 13 seats allocated to the alliance, nine nominees are from Jamaat-e-Islami, two from the NCP, and one each from Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis and the Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (JAGPA).

Those who submitted their nomination papers in the morning included Jamaat Women’s Division Secretary and Central Working Committee Member Nurunnisa Siddiqa, Jamaat Central Working Committee Member Marzia Begum, former Islami Chhatri Sangstha president and Central Working Committee Member Sabikun Nahar Munni, Mohila Jamaat Media and Publicity Secretary Nazmun Nahar Nilu, Sylhet Metropolitan Mohila Jamaat Secretary Mahfuza Hannan, Bogura Region Mohila Jamaat Director Sajeda Samad, Chattogram North District Mohila Jamaat Secretary Shamsunnahar Begum, Nari Odhikar Andolan central member Mardia Momtaz, “July martyr” Jabir Ibrahim’s mother Rokeya Begum, NCP Joint Convener Monira Sharmin, NCP Central Joint Member Secretary Mahmuda Alam Mitu, and JAGPA President Tasmia Pradhan.

Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis nominee Mahbuba Hakim was expected to submit her nomination later. Although she had left for the Election Commission, she was unable to do so with the others after getting stuck in traffic.

The other 12 candidates submitted their nomination papers, along with affidavits and other required documents, to Returning Officer and EC Joint Secretary Moin Uddin Khan.

EC Additional Secretary KM Ali Newaz, 11-Party Alliance Coordinator and Jamaat Assistant Secretary AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, and Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair were present.

Under the existing law, the 50 reserved women’s seats in parliament are allocated among parties and alliances in proportion to the number of seats they win in the general election. On that basis, the BNP alliance is set to receive 36 seats, the Jamaat alliance 13, and the independent alliance one.

The BNP-led ruling alliance announced its list of 36 nominees on Monday. They are also scheduled to submit their nomination papers on Tuesday.

Under the EC schedule, the deadline for submission is Apr 21. Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on Apr 22 and 23.

The deadline for withdrawal is Apr 29, while polling is scheduled for May 12.

MPs elected from general seats vote to elect members for the women’s reserved seats, though in practice voting is usually not needed as candidates are typically elected unopposed. As parties and alliances generally nominate the same number of candidates as the seats allocated to them, the nominees are usually declared elected unopposed on the final day for withdrawal of candidacies.