Reserved seats for women: New faces likely in Awami League

Awami League is likely to get 35-40 new members of parliament (MPs) from the reserved seats for woman in the 12th parliament and one or two of the MPs from reserved seats for woman may make it to the cabinet.

Leaders of Mohila Awami League, as well as women leaders of Awami League’s associated bodies and other professional bodies are visiting the party’s Dhanmondi office in the capital and submitting their bio-data to party leaders.

Other than the 300 seats, there are 50 reserved seats for women. Awami League has 223 seats in the parliament, followed by independent lawmakers – a total 62 including 58 lawmakers who are leaders and supporters of Awami League.

Party sources said Awami League is trying to field the party candidates on behalf of the independent lawmakers and the matter will be made certain. The prime minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina invited all independent lawmakers to Ganbhaban on Sunday and the matter is likely to be discussed there.

With the inclusion of the independent lawmakers’ share on the reserved seats for women, this time the number of Awami League’s MPs will increase to more or less 47. Awami League had a total of 43 lawmakers on the reserved seats for women in the 11th parliament.

A responsible leader of Awami League, who was involved in the selection process of lawmakers on the reserved seats for women, told Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity that majority of the old lawmakers will be left out and three to four lawmakers may possibly come from the share of Awami League as per the 14-party alliance’s choice.

The election commission is likely to announce the schedule for the election on the reserved seats for women at the beginning of February. After that, Awami League will start distributing nomination forms, followed by holding the meeting of the party’s parliamentary nomination board.

Awami League’s policymaking sources, however, said the prime minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina has already started working on who can be made lawmaker from the reserved seats for women. Once election to reserved seats for women ends several new faces may be inducted to the cabinet.

Awami League had 43 lawmakers from reserved seats for women, and of them, Khadijatul Anwar, Rumana Ali, Sultana Nadira and Tahmina Begum became lawmaker in the 7 January election. A few of the remaining 39 lawmakers are likely to return while the rest will be new faces.

According to Awami League party sources, the party is considering several matters to nominate candidates in the reserved seats for women. Those who have been deprived of party nomination to make way for others during the 7 January election are under consideration now. Former state minister for labour and employment Begum Monnujan Sufian and Awami League agriculture affairs secretary Faridun Nahar Laily are among them. Faridun Nahar Laily got the party ticket in the 7 January election but quit the race following a party decision to leave her constituency for Jatiya Party.

At least two lawmakers are likely to come from among celebrities, writers and artistes with the names of Lucky Enam and several others making the rounds in Awami League.

Two to three lawmakers may also come from minority communities and small ethnic groups. Aroma Dutts, Basanti Chakma and Gloria Jharna Sarker represented the 11th parliament, and among them, Aroma Dutta may return.

According to Awami League party sources, a significant number of lawmakers from reserved seats for women usually secure party nominations because of the contribution of their fathers or husbands to the party, especially family members of those who were MNA (Members of the National Assembly) in 1970 and 1973 get the preference. Family members of those who contributed to the party after 1975 will also be made lawmaker, and several women leaders who stood beside Sheikh Hasina after she returned home in 1981 will also have a place in the parliament.

Besides, districts with no representation on reserved seats for women in the last parliament will get priority this time, according to Awami League leaders.

Many women leaders from Awami League’s central committee, as well as Mohila Awami League and Jubo Mohila League could not bagged party tickets in the 7 January election, and several of them may come to parliament becoming lawmaker from reserved seats for women.

Awami League’s international affairs secretary Shammi Ahmed could not contest the election over citizenship issue. And she may become a lawmaker from reserved seats for women. Awami League’s finance and planning secretary Waseqa Ayesha Khan was a lawmaker from reserved seats for women in the 11th parliament and she is likely to return to parliament. Names of education and human resources affairs secretary Shamsun Nahar, and health and population affairs secretary Rokeya Sultana are also making the rounds.

Among the executive members of the central committee, Marufa Akter Popy sought the party nomination, but could not secure it. There are also Akhtar Jahan, Parveen Zaman, Tarana Halim, Merina Jahan, Safura Begum, Sanjida Khanam and Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia. Three of them were lawmaker in the last parliament. Sanjida Khanam contested the 7 January polls on party ticket from Dhaka-4 constituency, and lost. So, she is unlikely to any further opportunity. Professor Merina Jahan was lawmaker in the last parliament and she had been in many international delegations. She may return this time too. According to sources of Awami League, 4-5 executive members of the central committee may be the lawmaker from reserved seats for women.

Awami League relinquished six seats for three partners of the 14-Party alliance – Workers Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) and Jatiya Party (JP). Only two of them made it to parliament.

Sources at Awami League said partners will not get a share of the reserved seats for women with their two seats, and 3-4 persons from the alliance partners may be made lawmakers from Awami League’s quota.

Sammobadi Dal general secretary Dilip Barua became a technocrat minster once, but he never become a member of parliament. This time Awami League did not relinquish his seat either and his wife may possibly be made lawmaker from reserved seats for women.

Afroza Haq, wife of JSD president Hasanul Haq Inu, became a lawmaker at the end of the last parliament. This time, Hasanul Haq Inu lost the election and his party general secretary Shirin Akhter could not get any negotiated seat either. Awami League also assured to make her a lawmaker from reserved seat. Awami League sources said either one of them or both may be made lawmaker this time.

JP’s Anwar Hossain Manju lost in the 7 January election, and talks are marking the rounds that his wife or a family member may become lawmaker from reserved seat. Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon won the election. His wife Lutfun Nesa Khan was a lawmaker from reserved seat. It is yet unclear whether she would be made the lawmaker or someone else.

Awami League joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim told Prothom Alo there will be a combination of many classes and professions in the reserved seats for women. However, one’s contribution to the party will be given importance above everything else, he added.

This report appeared in the print and online editions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Hasanul Banna.