11-party alliance names 13 lawmakers for women’s reserved seats

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 party head office in Maghbazar in the capital on Monday.

On Tuesday, 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 EC head office.

Indirect elections to the reserved seats will be held on 12 May.

For the 77 seats the alliance won in direct vote in the 12 February elections, it has got 13 reserved seats.

Among the 13 seats, Jamaat has booked 8 seats for itself and left four others for alliance partners. NCP has got 2 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 wing Secretary Nurunnisa Siddika, and Assistant Secretary Marzia Begum.

From NCP, its women 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 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 police during an anti-Awami League demonstrations held in Uttara, Dhaka on 5 August 2024.