Awami League president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday nominated 48 candidates for the reserved seat for women in parliament by inducting 41 new faces.
The decision was unanimously taken during a meeting of the Awami League Parliamentary Nomination Board at Prime Minister’s Official residence Ganabhaban with AL president Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
The country has a 350-seat strong parliament, including 50 reserve seats for women. Some 1553 aspirants collected nomination form.
Aroma Dutta from Cumilla, Shabnam Jahan from Dhaka, Nahid Izhar Khan from Dhaka, Fazilatun Nessa from Munshiganj, Aparajita Haque from Tangail, Farida Khanam from Noakhali and Washique Ayesha Khan from Chattogram, who were MPs in 11th parliament, have also got the nomination this time too.
The new faces are Dropadi Devi Agarwal from Thakurgaon, Ashiqua Sultana from Niphamari, Rezia Islam from Panchagarh, Rokeya Sultana from Joypurhat, Koheli Quddus from Natore, Zara Jabin Mahbub from Chapainawabganj, Runu Reza from Khulna, Farida Akhter Banu from Bagerhat, Fazjana Sumi from Borguna, Khaleda Bahar Beauty from Bhola, Naznin Nahar Rashid from Patuakhali, Farida Yasmin from Narsingdi, Umme Farzana Sattar from Mymensingh, Nadia Binte Amin from Netrakona, Mahfuza Sultana from Joypurhat, Parveen Zaman from Jhenadah, Laila Parveen from Sathkhira, Munnujan Sufian from Khulna, Bedoura Ahmed Salam from Gopalganj, Parul Akhter from Dhaka, Sabera begum from Dhaka, Shammim Ahmed from Barishal, Jhorna Hasan from Faridpur, Shahida Tareque Dipti from Dhaka, Anima Mukti Gomez from Dhaka, Sheikh Anarkoli Putul from Dhaka, Masuda Siddique Rozi from Narsingdi, Tarana Halim from Tangail, Begum Shamsun Nahar from Tangail, Meher Afroze from Gazipur, Hasina Bari Chowdhury from Dhaka, Nazma Akhter from Gopalganj, Ruma Chakrabarti from Sylhet, Faridun Nahar Laily from Luxmipur, Ashrafun Nessa from Luxmipur, Kanan Ara Begum from Noakhali, Shamima Haroon from Chattogram, Dilwara Yusuf from Chattogram, Jharati Tanchanga from Rangamati, Sanjida Khan from Dhaka and Nasima Zaman from Rangpur.
Addressing the aspirants before the meeting, the AL president said the application of around 1553 women for 48 reserved seats in the parliament proved renaissance in women development in Bangladesh.
“It really appeared to be difficult for us to find out 48 women among several hundred aspirants for the reserved seats,” she said.
She called upon them not to be frustrated for not getting the nomination rather work for the country and its people with motherly affection.
The Election Commission recently fixed March 14 as the voting day for the reserved seat in parliament.
The AL won 223 seats in the January 7 general elections while the independent candidates won 62 seats, Jatiya Party won 11 seats, AL led 14-party alliance ---Jatiya Samjtantrik Dal and Workers Party---got one seat each and Kalyan Party got one seat.
As per the rule, a party got one reserved seat against six members. In that contest, the ruling party gets 48 seats as the independent candidates extend support to the ruling party while the JP will get the rest two seats.
The EC earlier sent letters to the political parties having representation in parliament and independent lawmakers requesting them to clear their position so that the EC could distribute the number of reserved seats among the parties.