BNP announces 36 candidates

The BNP has announced its list of 36 candidates for the reserved women’s seats in the 13th Parliament.
The names were announced on Monday at the party’s central office in Nayapaltan by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General and Prime Minister’s Adviser Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
The nominees are: Selima Rahman, Shirin Sultana, Rasheda Begum Hira, Rehana Akter Ranu, Neawaz Halima Arly, Mosammat Farida Yasmin, Bilkis Islam, Shakila Farzana, Helen Jerin Khan, Nilufar Chowdhury Moni, Nipun Roy Chowdhury, Zeba Amin Khan, Mahmuda Habiba, Sabira Sultana, Sansila Jebrin, Sanjida Islam Tuli, Sultana Ahmed, Fahmida Haque, Anna Minj, Subarna Shikder, Shamima Ara Begum Swapna, Shammi Akter, Ferdousi Ahmed, Bithika Binte Hossain, Suraiya Jerin, Mansura Akter, Johorat Adib Chowdhury, Momtaz Alam, Fahima Nasrin, Arifa Sultana, Sanjida Yasmin, Shaukat Ara Akter, Madhabi Marma, Selina Sultana, Rezeka Sultana and Nadia Pathan Papon.
The ruling party began interviewing candidates for reserved women’s seats on 17 April. The candidates were interviewed by members of the party’s nomination board. Around 900 applications were submitted to the BNP central office in Nayapaltan to secure nomination. Announcing the names of candidates, Rizvi said that, “I have read out the names of these 36 people who have been selected and elected from the BNP and the BNP alliance.”
As per the Election Commission’s schedule, the deadline for submitting nomination papers is 21 April, with scrutiny set for 22 and 23 April. Appeals may be lodged on 26 April, with hearings scheduled for 27 and 28 April.
The final date for withdrawal of candidature is 29 April, while election symbols will be allocated on 30 April. Voting is due to take place on 12 May. Although the date for voting in this indirect election is set for 12 May, there will be no need for voting for procedural reasons. That is, those nominated by the party are practically guaranteed to become MPs if they are not eliminated in the selection process.
The rule is that members of parliament elected on general seats of parliament can vote in the election of members of parliament on reserved seats. But since the party or alliance nominates the same number of candidates as the seats allotted to it, no further voting is required in this election.
The candidates will be declared elected unopposed on the day of withdrawal of candidature.

Jamaat-led 11-party alliance names 13 candidates
The 11-party opposition alliance, led by Jamaat-e-Islami, announced the names of candidates for the 13 women’s reserved seats allotted to the electoral bloc.
Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad announced the seat-sharing plan in a press conference held at the party head office in Moghbazar in the capital on Monday.
Today, the alliance will submit the names of its candidates for the reserved seats to the Election Commission (EC), and formally announce the names in a joint press conference at the EC head office.
Among the 13 seats, Jamaat has booked eight seats for itself and left four others for alliance partners. NCP has got two seats, Jatiya Gonotantrik Party (JAGPA) one seat and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish one seat. One seat has been allotted to a family member of a July Martyr.
Prominent names in Jamaat’s list include women’s wing Secretary Nurunnisa Siddika, and Assistant Secretary Marzia Begum.
From NCP, its women’s wing Convener Manira Sharmin and Member Secretary Mahmuda Alam Mitu have been nominated. Jatiya Gonotantrik Party’s Acting President Barrister Tasmia Pradhan, and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish women’s wing member Mahbuba Hakim were nominated. Also nominated was Rokeya Begum, mother of July Uprising’s child martyr Jabir. Jabir, 6, was gunned down by the police during anti-Awami League demonstrations held in Uttara, Dhaka on 5 August 2024.

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