Gazetting of 49 Reserved Women Seat Candidates Thursday

The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh has officially announced that 49 candidates for the reserved women’s seats in the National Parliament will be declared winners, with the formal gazette notification scheduled for release this Thursday. This announcement was made by the Returning Officer and EC Joint Secretary, Moin Uddin Khan, during a press briefing held on Wednesday afternoon at the Election Commission building in Agargaon, Dhaka.

Background and Legal Framework

The election for the reserved women’s seats is governed by the Jatiya Sangsad (Reserved Women’s Seats) Election Act, 2004. Following the legal provisions of this Act, the Election Commission officially announced the election schedule on 18 April. According to the timeline, Wednesday was designated as the final date for the withdrawal of candidacies.

The Returning Officer confirmed that no candidates filed applications to withdraw their nomination papers by the expiry of the deadline. Under Bangladeshi electoral law, when the number of validly nominated candidates equals the number of vacant seats, those candidates are declared elected unopposed without the requirement of a formal ballot.

Distribution of Seats by Party Affiliation

The distribution of these reserved seats is based on the proportional representation of political parties and alliances in the general seats of the National Parliament. The 49 candidates set to be gazetted represent a coalition of parties and independent blocs. The breakdown of the candidates is as follows:

Judicial Proceedings and Legal Clarifications

During the briefing, Moin Uddin Khan addressed specific legal complexities involving two potential candidates. He noted that while one individual had reportedly appealed to the court, the Election Commission had not yet received any formal documentation or specific information regarding that particular case.

However, the Returning Officer provided details regarding a writ petition filed by another candidate, Nusrat Tabassum. The verdict for this appeal has been formally communicated to the Election Commission. The honourable court has directed the Commission to accept and resolve her nomination papers within a 72-hour window. Mr Khan stated that the Commission is currently acting in strict accordance with the court’s directives to settle the matter.

Next Steps in the Electoral Process

Following the publication of the gazette on Thursday, the newly declared Members of Parliament will be required to take their oaths of office at the National Parliament. This process ensures the full constitution of the legislative body, bringing the total number of parliamentary seats to its complete strength of 350. The Election Commission maintains that all procedures have been conducted in compliance with existing electoral laws and judicial mandates.