Reserved seats for women: AL to interview aspirants at Ganabhaban Wednesday
Ruling Awami League has called the aspirant candidates for the women’s reserved seats in the parliament to the prime minister’s official residence Ganabhaban in Dhaka on Wednesday.
The party’s parliamentary nomination board will interview them there. The aspirant candidates have been asked to show the slip of their nomination papers for securing entry to the Ganabhaban.
The Election Commission (EC) has announced the election schedule for the reserved women's seats and set the polling day for 14 March
Awami League sold and received nomination forms for the reserved seats from 6 to 8 February. A total of 1,549 women bought nomination forms against the reserved seats in the parliament, earning the party an income of Tk 77.45 million.
The ruling party will nominate candidates for 48 seats among the 50 reserved seats, while the average number of aspirants is 32 against each seat.
According to the party sources, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will deliver a speech before all the aspirant candidates and decide the nominations with the board. Later, she will embark on a state trip to Germany.
The Election Commission (EC) has announced the election schedule for the reserved women's seats and set the polling day for 14 March. Generally, parties or alliances nominate single candidates for the women's seats, obviating the need for voting.
The candidates are allowed to withdraw their nominations until 25 February. The final candidates are expected to be elected unopposed and join the current parliamentary session.
Ruling party sources said the cabinet may extend following the elections into the reserved seats. There are speculations that some of the parliamentarians from the reserved seats may join the cabinet.