Ruling Awami League is to get 48 seats out of the 50 reserved seats in parliament as independent lawmakers have extended their support to the AL.
In the January 7 general elections, the AL won 223 seats 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 while the JP will get the rest two seats.
A team of AL led by AL organising secretary and whip of the parliament Abu Sayeed Al Mahmood Swapon on Wednesday handed over a letter, signed by AL general secretary Obaidul Quader, to the election commission secretary Jahangir Alam on behalf of 14-party alliance and independent lawmakers. On Sunday, independent MPs, during a meeting with Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, left the decision of nominating independent candidates for reserved seats in the hands of the premier.
At a briefing, AL general secretary Obaidul Quader said that they would give importance and priority to the tested leaders.
AL office secretary Barrister Biplab Barua and deputy office secretary Sayem Khan, among others, accompanied the whip.
Swapan told that they handover the letter to the Election Commission mentioning that independent candidates would support the AL-nominated candidates.
Now the Election Commission will take necessary measures in this regard, he said.
The EC has already 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.
