Majority female candidates highly educated, 67pc working women

The number of female candidates in the 13th national parliamentary election is 85. Apart from them, there is one candidate from the hijra community. Examination of the affidavits submitted to the election commission shows that 64 of the female candidates are graduates or postgraduates, meaning nearly 75 per cent are highly educated. The largest group of candidates, 32, are aged between 25 and 39. Professional analysis shows that 67 per cent of the women are employed.

The number of candidates for 300 seats is 2,017 in this election, to be held on 12 February. Among them, the number of female candidates is 74, meaning women make up only 4 per cent of the total. Sixty-six women are nominated by parties, while 19 are independent candidates.

However, there are some discrepancies between the affidavits published on the Election Commission’s website for final candidates and the official final list of candidates. For example, the name of independent candidate Takiya Jahan Chowdhury from Rangpur–6 does not appear in the affidavit as a final candidate. Yet her name is included in the final list published by the Election Commission after the deadline for withdrawal of candidacy had passed.

Conversely, the name of independent candidate Kohinoor Akhtar Bithi from Dhaka–11 does not appear in the Election Commission’s final list, but is included in the final list of affidavits. The number of female candidates (78) published in Prothom Alo’s print edition on Monday (2 February), was compiled on the basis of the affidavits. As a result, the names of several candidates were left out.

Mir Nadia Nivin, member of the election system reform commission formed by the interim government and expert on governance processes and institutional reform, stated at an event on 28 January that the number of female candidates has decreased compared to the twelfth national parliamentary election in 2024.

In that election, there were 101 female candidates, accounting for more than 5 per cent of the total. Outside of female candidates, there were two candidates from the hijra and third-gender communities. She noted that from 1973 to 1988, the proportion of female candidates was below 1 per cent. In the 1991 and 1996 (held in June) elections, it exceeded 1 per cent. In 2001 it was 2 per cent, in 2008 it was 3.6 per cent, in 2014 it was over 5 per cent, and in 2018 it was nearly 4 per cent.

Political parties were unable to reach a consensus during discussions with the national consensus commission formed by the interim government on increasing women’s representation in parliament. At one point, 26 parties and alliances agreed to a proposal to nominate women in at least 5 per cent of the seats.

Despite objections from women’s rights activists, the arrangement to ensure a minimum of 5 per cent nominations for women in this election was included in the July charter. However, among the major parties, BNP nominated 10 women, or 3.4 per cent of its candidates. Thirty parties, including Jamaat, did not nominate any women for any seat.

According to the national July charter 2025, in the upcoming election, each political party will be urged to nominate a minimum of 5 per cent female candidates for the existing 300 parliamentary seats.

Parties will continue to nominate women at a minimum rate of 5 per cent in the general election in phases until the target of 33 per cent female candidates is achieved. Twenty-six parties agreed to this, while four parties submitted a note of dissent.

Among the female candidates, BNP has 10, Jatiya Party has 6, National Citizen Party (NCP) has 2, Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist) has 10, Insaniyat Biplob Bangladesh has 6, Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BASAD) has 5, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) has 6, Ganosamhati Andolan has 4, Gano Forum has 3, Gono Odhikar Parishad (GOP) has 3, Bangladesh Revolutionary Workers Party has 2, Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) has 1, National Peoples Party (NPP) has 1, Bangladesh Muslim League has 1, Bangladesh Labour Party has 1, Bangladesh Republican Party (BRP) has 1, Nagorik Oikko has 1, Aam Janatar Dal has 1, Islamic Front Bangladesh has 1, and Bangladesh Communist Party (CPB) has 1. In addition, there are 19 independent candidates.

Voters are supporting female candidates and welcoming them when they campaign, said Nabila Tasnid, NCP candidate for Dhaka-20. She told Prothom Alo that voters feel proud that a capable female candidate is present in the area when approached for votes, which gives her great joy. However, she expressed frustration that she is facing various obstacles due to the supporters of rival candidates.

Nabila said that her election office is being vandalised and looted, and banners are being torn down. She added that notifying the administration has brought no results, as the authorities are asking them for proof. She believes the neutrality of the administration is questionable.

Taslima Akhtar, Ganosamhati Andolan candidate for Dhaka-12, told Prothom Alo that voters are assessing whether a female candidate can withstand physical force and power. However, she noted that this mindset is gradually changing. During election campaigning, she has observed many voters showing a positive attitude towards female candidates, which gives her hope.

Monisha Chakraborty, one of BASAD’s five female candidates, is contesting from Barishal-5. She told Prothom Alo that the female candidates of their party have established themselves as politicians, not just as women, in the eyes of voters. Their organisational work has cemented this identity.

However, misogynistic remarks by some rival candidates have created obstacles for them. She participated as a candidate in a television election discussion, but when a candidate refused to appear before a female, the channel authorities removed her (Monisha) from the discussion.

Nasrin Sultana of AB Party is a lawyer by profession. Her party formed an electoral alliance with Jamaat. She is contesting from Dhaka-10, but the Jamaat-led alliance did not support her. She told Prothom Alo that voters are welcoming female candidates. She added that many parties cite security concerns as a reason for not nominating women, yet they still place women at the front during election campaigning.

According to the information provided in the affidavits, clear details were available for 83 of the 85 women. Among the candidates, 57 are employed, accounting for 67 per cent. Among the working female candidates, 18 are businesswomen, 11 are lawyers including trainees, 6 earn a living through tuition, 3 are entrepreneurs, 4 work in agriculture, 3 are teachers, 3 are physicians, 2 are development workers, 1 is a political trainer, 5 are private-sector employees, and 1 is a singer.

In addition, 6 are politicians, 2 are social workers, 5 are students, and 2 are retired employees. Beyond these, 12 are housewives. The candidate of Gono Odhikar Parishad in Sirajganj-1, Mallika Khatun, did not specify any profession.

Among the six women who listed tuition as their profession is Shahinur Akter Sumi. She is contesting from Dhaka-5 as a candidate of the Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist). In her affidavit, she stated that she holds a postgraduate degree. She earns Tk 26,000 taka per month from tuition and has Tk 532,000 in cash.

Analysis of educational qualifications shows that 3 are self-educated, 1 has passed class eight, 3 have passed secondary school, 8 have completed higher secondary, 24 are graduates, 1 has passed Fazil, 35 are postgraduates, 1 holds a diploma in medicine, 1 has received special training, and the educational qualifications of 1 candidate are unknown.

An analysis of educational qualifications shows that three candidates are self-educated, one has passed Class Eight, four have completed secondary education, eight have passed higher secondary, 25 hold bachelor’s degrees, one has a Fazil degree; 39 have master’s degrees; two hold diplomas in medical studies; and one has received specialised training. Information on the educational qualifications of one candidate could not be obtained.

Some candidates hold two postgraduate degrees. For example, Sarkar Taslima Afroze, candidate of Insaniyat Biplob Bangladesh from Gazipur-2, holds an MA in English and an LLM. She works as a lawyer.

In the section on bank accounts, savings certificates, fixed deposits, postal savings, gold or other valuable metals and stones, some of the candidates wrote “not applicable.”

Afroza Khanum Munnu, BNP candidate from Manikganj-3 and chairperson of Group of Industries, is wealthy in cash. She is a businesswoman and listed 58.5 million taka cash in her affidavit, with 4.1 million taka in banks and financial institutions.

A graduate in accounting, she has disclosed the highest number of ongoing legal cases among female candidates. She has nine current cases against her and was previously accused in four others, of which she was acquitted in two and two were withdrawn.

Shama Obayed Islam, BNP candidate from Faridpur-2, has one ongoing case against her, but previously faced 17 cases. Of these, eight were withdrawn, eight resulted in acquittal, and she was exonerated in one.

Among the candidates, the three youngest, aged 25, are Tahmina Akter of Insaniyat Biplob from Narsingdi-5, Fatema Akter Munia of the same party from Dhaka-13, and Kamrunnahar Sathi from BASAD contesting in Cumilla-6.

In addition, 29 candidates are aged 26 to 39, 31 are aged 40 to 50, 17 are aged 51 to 69, and 4 are over 70. Information on one candidate's age could not be obtained.

Akhtar Sultana, independent candidate from Mymensingh-6, is the oldest candidate at 76 years and 8 months. A postgraduate and a teacher by profession, she has Tk 5.4 million in cash and wrote “not applicable” for bank assets.

The second oldest is Meherun Nessa Khan Hena, aged 72 years and 11 months, contesting Narsingdi-5 for the Jatiya Party. A BA graduate, she has Tk 2.728 million in cash, Tk 558,000 in the bank, and over Tk 25 million in investments.

Hasina Khan Chowdhury, independent candidate from Mymensingh-9, is 70 years old, while Rehana Begum, candidate of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal from Noakhali-1, is 70 years and 7 months old.

Some candidates reported having gold jewellery and other precious metals, while others did not specify in their affidavits. Jewellery mentioned ranged from 1.5 to 60 bhori. For example, Nasrin Sultana, the sole female candidate of AB Party and a lawyer, reported owning 60 bhori of jewellery, Tk 2.8 million in cash, and over Tk 100,000 in the bank.

Sansila Jebrin, BNP candidate from Sherpur-1 and a physician, reported 60 bhori of jewellery. Tania Rab, Jatiya samajtantrik Dal candidate from Lakshmipur-4 and a businesswoman, reported owning 50 bhori of jewellery.

According to the affidavits published on the Election Commission’s website, 17 female candidates are contesting in 13 of the 20 constituencies in the capital. However, the name of independent candidate Kahinoor Akhtar Bithi from the Dhaka-11 constituency does not appear on the final list published after the withdrawal of candidacies.

Among them, 13 are highly educated and employed. Of these candidates, 10 are postgraduates, 3 are graduates, 1 has passed SSC, 1 is self-educated, and 1 is a student. In addition, Meghna Alam, candidate of Gono Odhikar Parishad from Dhaka-8, did not specify her educational qualifications in the affidavit. She stated that she holds a 'specialised professional training certificate' and listed her profession as 'political trainer'.

Among the postgraduate candidates, one holds an MPhil degree. She is Taslima Akhtar of Ganosamhati Andolan contesting Dhaka-12. She listed her profession as teacher and photographer.

Independent candidates have expressed optimism about winning. Some of them have prior election experience. Takiya Jahan Chowdhury, independent candidate from Rangpur-6, also contested as an independent in the 2024 election.

Farzana Farid, independent candidate from Jamalpur-3 (Melandah-Madarjang), is an entrepreneur. She told Prothom Alo that she previously participated in the upazila parishad elections for the chairman post and is using that experience for her current candidacy. She is optimistic about winning.

This election’s sole representative of the hijra community is Anwara Islam Rani. She is contesting Rangpur-3 as an independent candidate and had also run from the same constituency in the 2024 election.

She told Prothom Alo, “The environment this time is remarkable. It feels good, but also frightening. The law and order situation shows the presence of physical power. Fights and conflicts are visible.” Anwara has passed class eight and is a businesswoman. She has Tk 150,000 in cash and more than Tk 2.4 million in the bank.

The retired government officer told Prothom Alo that the previous election was not fair, and she hopes this time it will be. She is also receiving support from voters on the ground, with many preferring an independent candidate over voting for any party.

Mir Nadia Nivin, expert on governance processes and institutional reform, told Prothom Alo that female candidates are far ahead in terms of qualifications and skills. However, it is regrettable that political parties are not attentive to developing women’s leadership. The 5 per cent nomination for women was meant as a minimum, yet even that was not maintained by political parties, which is disappointing. This time, 30 parties did not nominate any women. While many parties have reserved seats, this approach is mistaken. Reserved seats do not contribute to developing women’s leadership.

Mir Nadia Nivin further said that since 1973, there has been no clear assessment of whether reserved seats have been effective. Women actively involved in politics should be nominated. A cross-party women’s committee is needed to put pressure on parties regarding women’s issues. The election commission must play a strong role in this. According to the representative order (RPO), if parties do not achieve 33 per cent female representation in all committees by 2030, their registration should be cancelled.

*Correction: Following publication, some inconsistencies were identified. As a result, the headline and certain details were corrected at 10:53 pm on 2 February.