The Election Commission (EC) is set to publish the official gazette notification this Thursday (30 April) declaring 49 candidates elected to the reserved women's seats for the 13th National Parliament.
Returning Officer Md. Moin Uddin Khan confirmed the development during a press briefing held at the Election Commission Bhaban today (April 29).
According to EC sources, 49 nominations have been declared valid against the 50 reserved seats. The list includes 36 candidates from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), 12 from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the 11-party alliance, and one independent candidate.
The schedule for these seats was announced on April 8, in accordance with the Reserved Women's Seat Act, 2004. As per the timeline, the deadline for the withdrawal of candidacy was today, Wednesday (April 29), from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Since no candidates withdrew their nomination papers within the stipulated time, the EC is declaring the valid candidates elected under Section 12(2) of the Act.
While the election was originally scheduled for May 12, a formal vote is no longer necessary as the number of valid candidates matches the number of vacant seats.
Regarding the one remaining seat, the nomination of NCP leader Nusrat Tabassum was accepted following a court directive and is currently in the scrutiny stage. Following the filing of Writ Petition No. 5022/2026, the court ordered the Commission to resolve the matter within 72 hours. The Election Commission stated that further steps will be taken based on the court's instructions and legal requirements.
