7 women, including Rumeen Farhana, Tahsina Rushdir and Shama Obaid elected

The results of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (national parliament) election are being announced. So far, unofficial results have been received from 258 constituencies. As of 10:30 am today, Friday, reports indicate that seven women candidates have been elected.

An analysis of the results shows that a total of 85 women contested in this election. Of them, seven have so far been declared winners.

In Manikganj-3 (Saturia, Manikganj Municipality, and eight unions of Sadar upazila), BNP candidate Afroza Khanam contesting with the sheaf of paddy symbol has been unofficially elected with 167,345 votes. Her nearest rival, Muhammad Saeed Noor of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis (rickshaw symbol), received 64,242 votes.

In Jhalakathi-2 (Jhalakathi Sadar-Nalchity), BNP alliance candidate Israt Sultana Elen Bhutto, contesting with the sheaf of paddy symbol, secured 113,100 votes including postal ballots at 147 polling centres. Her nearest rival, Jamaat candidate SM Neyamul Karim (balance scales symbol), received 69,805 votes.

In Sylhet-2 (Bishwanath and Osmaninagar), Tahsina Rushdir (Luna), wife of BNP leader M Ilias Ali, a victim of ‘enforced disappearance’ won by a margin of 79,321 votes. Contesting with the sheaf of paddy symbol, she received 117,956 votes. Her closest rival, Muhammad Muntasir Ali of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis under the 11-party alliance, obtained 38,635 votes. Tahsina Rushdir was the only woman among 33 candidates in the six constituencies of Sylhet district.

In Brahmanbaria-2 (Sarail, Ashuganj and part of Bijoynagar), independent candidate Rumeen Farhana (duck symbol) was unofficially elected by a large margin, securing 117,495 votes. She received 37,568 votes more than her nearest rival, Junaid Al Habib of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, who was backed by the BNP alliance.

Apart from that, BNP candidate Farzana Sharmin won in Natore-1, BNP candidate Shama Obaid Islam won in Faridpur-2, and BNP candidate Nayab Yusuf Ahmed won in Faridpur-3, according to unofficial results.

In this election, a total of 2,017 candidates contested in 300 constituencies. According to the list published by the Election Commission after the final date for withdrawal of candidacies on 20 January, there were 84 women candidates, only 4 per cent of the total. Of them, 66 contested as party nominees and 19 as independents. In addition, one candidate was from the Hijra community.

A review of the affidavits submitted to the Election Commission shows that 64 of the women candidates, around 75 per cent, were graduates or postgraduates. The largest age group was 25 to 39 years, with 32 candidates. Professionally, around 67 per cent of the women candidates were employed.