Reserved women’s seats in Parliament: Jamaat nominates 8, NCP and others nominate 5

Candidates have been finalised for the reserved women’s seats in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad from the 11-party electoral alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami.

Eight women from Jamaat will enter Parliament, while two will represent the National Citizen Party (NCP). In addition, one nominee each has been selected from the Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (JAGPA) and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, alongside one representative from a July martyr’s family.

The 11-party alliance secured victory in 77 constituencies in the parliamentary election held on 12 February, entitling it to 13 reserved women’s seats.

Of the total 50 such seats, 36 will go to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The ruling party finalised its nominees today, Monday, followed shortly by the announcement of candidates from the 11-party alliance.

According to sources within Jamaat’s women’s wing, those instructed to collect nomination papers for the reserved seats are: Nurunnisa Siddika, Marzia Begum, Sabikun Nahar Munni, Mahfuza Siddika, Najmun Nahar Neelu, Sajeda Samad, Mardia Momtaz, Mahmuda Alam Mitu, Monira Sharmin, Tasmia Prodhan, Samsun Nahar, Mahbuba Hakim, and Rokeya Begum.

Two central leaders of Jamaat and a senior leader of its women’s wing confirmed the list to Prothom Alo. They stated that the nominated candidates will submit their nomination papers at the election commission office in Agargaon, Dhaka, on Tuesday.

Confirming the development, Jamaat’s women’s wing secretary Nurunnisa Siddika told Prothom Alo that the names would be formally announced the following day.

Those set to become Members of Parliament from Jamaat include: Nurunnisa Siddika (central secretary of the women’s wing), assistant secretary Marzia Begum, law and human rights secretary Sabikun Nahar Munni, Daffodil International University lecturer and women’s wing member Mardia Momtaz, member Najmun Nahar Neelu, Sylhet leader Mahfuza Siddika, Bogura leader and former upazila women vice-chairman Sajeda Samad, and Khulna city unit secretary Samsun Nahar.

Speaking to Prothom Alo on Monday afternoon, Jamaat women’s wing member Mardia Momtaz said she had received a message from the party and would submit her nomination papers at the EC the next day.

The two NCP nominees are Monira Sharmin, convener of the party’s women’s organisation “Jatiya Nari Shakti”, and its member secretary Mahmuda Alam Mitu.

Tasmia Prodhan is the chairman of JAGPA, while Mahbuba Hakim is a member of the women’s wing of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis and, according to party sources, a niece of the party’s ameer, Maulana Mamunul Haque.

Additionally, Rokeya Begum, mother of July martyr child Jabir Ibrahim, has been nominated by the alliance for a parliamentary seat.

According to the schedule announced by the election commission, the election for reserved women’s seats in the 13th Parliament will be held on 12 May.

These seats are not filled through direct election; instead, they are allocated proportionally based on parties’ representation in Parliament.

Of the 50 reserved seats, the BNP-led alliance will receive 36, the Jamaat-led alliance 13, and independents collectively one.