The Election Commission (EC) has declared the nomination papers of 36 candidates nominated by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for reserved seats for women in the 13th National Parliament election valid. The decision was announced after scrutiny at the commission’s office in Agargaon in the capital on Thursday.
The EC’s decision has paved the way for BNP candidates to participate in the electoral process in reserved seats for women. According to Election Commission sources, no major errors or legal complications were found in the initial verification of the submitted nomination papers.
Earlier, BNP announced the names of 36 women candidates through a press conference at the party’s central office in Nayapaltan in the capital. The party’s Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi released the list of nominees. The announced list includes former members of parliament, party leaders, professionals and representatives of various classes and professions, party sources said.
According to election analysts, the validation of candidates’ nominations for reserved women’s seats is not just a formal step; it is also important in terms of women’s representation in parliament and party strategy. This process carries additional importance, especially in the political equation surrounding the distribution of reserved seats after the national elections.
EC officials said that after the verification and selection, the next step will be to follow the prescribed process of objections, withdrawals and publication of the final candidate list. Once the next process is completed according to the law and rules, the election for reserved women seats will be organized.
According to political observers, the declaration of BNP’s nomination papers as valid has created the possibility of the party’s parliamentary presence and the participation of women leaders becoming more visible. At the same time, the strategic position of political parties focusing on the reserved seat elections has also begun to become clear.
The Election Commission says that the entire process is being conducted in a transparent manner as per the constitution and election rules. Now, after the publication of the final list, the election formalities for reserved women seats will gain momentum.