AL nominates 39 for women seats

The ruling Awami League has finalised 39 nominees, mostly new faces, for elections to reserved women seats in the 10th Parliament.

The candidates were listed in a media statement signed by the party’s Office Secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap on Thursday.

Tarana Halim, Fazilatunnesa Bappy, Fazilatunnesa Indira and Pinu Khan, who were reserved seat MPs during the Awami League’s previous term, have again been nominated.

Also in the contention are Sanjida Khanam and Nilufer Zafarullah who were directly elected to previous parliament.

The polls are scheduled for April 3.

The Awami League finalised the candidates just three days before the Mar 9 deadline to file nominations.

Papers will be scrutinised on Mar 11 and aspirants will be able to withdraw from the race until Mar 18.

Reserved seats are distributed among parties based on the number of their representation in Parliament. This time the Awami League-led alliance is getting 41 out of 50 seats.

Opposition Jatiya Party will get six seats and the rest will go to independent candidates.

Only four of the Awami League’s previous reserved seat MPs made it into the shortlist this year.

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury was a reserved seat MP, and so was singer Momotaz Begom. Both had been elected by direct balloting in the Jan 5 polls.

The newly selected candidates include Mahzabin Khaled, daughter of 1971 war’s Sector Commander Gen Khaled Mosharraf.

A total of 822 women had applied for reserved seats. Awami League’s parliamentary board headed by party chief Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina selected 39 of them.

The Awami League says the nominations had been finalised based on the candidates’ “political career, their popularity and contribution to various movements in Bangladesh”.

Others on the list include Selina Jahan Lita, Safura Begum Rumi, Hosne Ara Lutfa Daliya, Umme Kulsum Smriti, Begum Akhter Jahan, Selina Begum Swapna, Selina Akhter Banu, Laila Arjuman Banu, Shirin Naim Punam, Kamrul Laila Joly, Happy Boral, Rifat Amin, Nasima Ferdousi, Lutfunnessa, Momtaj Begum, Monowara Begum, Fatema Zohra Rani, Dilara Mahbub Asma, Fatematuz Zohra, Sabina Akter Tuhin, Rahima Akter, Hosne Ara Babli, Kamrun Nahar Chowdhury Lovely, Rokhsana Yasmin Chhuti, Navana Akter, Asmatul Kibria Keya Chowdhury, Shamsun Nahar Begum, Wasfia Aysha Khan, Jahanara Begum Surma, Sabiha Nahar Begum (Sabiha Musa), Firoza Begum Chinu and Suchitra Tonchongya.

Those dropped include Apu Ukil, Nazma Akter, Zinatun Nesa Talukder, Shahida Tarekh Dipti, Hamida Banu Shova and Saleha Mosharraf.