Election Commission receives voter list for 50 reserved women’s seats
The Election Commission (EC) today said it is preparing to hold the election for the 50 reserved seats for women in the 13th Parliament during Ramadan.
The parliament secretariat has submitted a voter list comprising 296 members of parliament who will elect MPs for the 50 reserved seats.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Mohammad Monir Hossain, deputy secretary of the EC Secretariat, shared this development with The Daily Star this morning.
The 50 reserved seats for women are allocated to political parties in proportion to their representation in parliament and are filled through indirect elections by MPs, he said.
Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud told The Daily Star, "We will not take much time. We will announce the schedule before Eid."
Regarding how many seats each party may obtain, EC Masud said that of the 50 seats, a party must have won at least six parliamentary seats in the general election to qualify for one reserved seat.
As per the law governing reserved women's seats, BNP will get 34.66 seats, rounded to 35. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami will get 11.33 seats, or 11 in total and independent candidates to receive 1.16 percent, equivalent to one seat (if they ally). The National Citizen Party will get one seat. Other smaller parties will not get any unless they form alliances.
Commissioner Masud said voting for reserved women's seats has "already begun, in essence".
When asked about the timing of the reserved women's seats election, EC Abdur Rahmanel Masud said, "This election is essentially for the parties represented in the parliament. Whomever they nominate, we may consider that as the candidate. The process has to be completed within 90 days of the oath-taking, and we will do so within the timeframe."
The 13th Parliament Election was held on February 12, alongside a referendum. Fifty parties, including BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and Jatiya Party, contested the polls. Of them, only nine parties won seats. The remaining 41, including the Jatiya Party, failed to secure any seats.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission this afternoon said the Bogura-6 by-polls and election in Sherpur-3 are likely to be held by April 9.
Confirming the development, EC Abdur Rahmanel Masud said, "Regarding postal ballots, we have already sent them for Sherpur-3. For Bogura-6, postal ballots will be resent to expatriates."
The schedule for the two elections may be announced by the EC today, he said.
Meanwhile, yesterday, the Election Commission said the Bogura-6 by-polls and the rescheduled election in Sherpur-3 will be held by April 14.
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