The Election Commission (EC) has unveiled the timetable for the upcoming election for the reserved women’s seats in the 13th National Parliament, scheduled to take place on May 12th.
During a press conference held at 11:00 am, EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed disclosed the key dates for the election process. The deadline for submitting nomination papers has been set for April 21st at the EC Secretariat, followed by the scrutiny of nominations on April 22nd and 23rd.
In case of disputes, appeals can be lodged on April 26th, with hearings scheduled for April 27th and 28th. Candidates will have until April 29th to withdraw their nominations, and the allocation of electoral symbols is set for April 30th.
The election will be overseen by Returning Officer Moinuddin Khan, Assistant Returning Officer Mohammad Monir Hossain, and four polling officers appointed for the task, as confirmed by Akhtar.
Regarding seat distribution, the EC secretary revealed that the BNP and its coalition partners, including Ganosamhati Andolan, Gono Odhikar Parishad, Gono Songhoti Andolon, and Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), will receive 36 seats. Jamaat-e-Islami and its allies, National Citizen Party (NCP), Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, and Khelafat Majlis, are allocated 13 seats, while six independent candidates forming an alliance will secure one seat.
Notably, Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) and independent candidate Rumeen Farhana have opted not to join any coalition.
The EC recently released the voter list for the reserved seat election, encompassing 296 eligible members of parliament who can cast their votes.
Under the Jatiya Sangsad (Reserved Seats for Women) Election Act, 2004, the EC is mandated to complete the election within 90 days of announcing the final election results.
The parliamentary election for the 299 constituencies, along with a referendum, was conducted on February 12th, with the gazette published the next day. Out of the fifty participating parties, only nine secured seats while the remaining forty-one, including the Jatiya Party, failed to win any.
According to the governing Act, the allocation of the 50 reserved seats for women is proportionate to the 300 general seats each party or alliance wins.
Additionally, the EC secretary confirmed that voting will take place tomorrow in the Bogura-6 and Sherpur-3 constituencies, with preparations reported to be proceeding smoothly in both areas.
In conclusion, the EC secretary expressed optimism that the high standards set during the national election will be upheld, with the cooperation of the media and all stakeholders involved.
