Shahidul Islam Chowdhury and Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee
The women leaders of the Awami League (AL), Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jatiya Party and their women organisations are lobbying hectically to win respective party nominations for 45 seats reserved for women in the ninth parliament.
Many hopefuls are showing up in all party programmes to draw the attention of the hierarchy. They also thronging the offices and residences of the senior leaders of their respective party, sources said.
The Election Commission is likely to publish separate lists of lawmakers belonging to different political parties and alliances, allocating the seats among them in accordance with the principle of proportional representation, stipulated in the Jatiya Sangsad (Reserved Seats for Women) Election Act 2004.
The Election Commission will also announce the schedule to hold elections to the 45 reserved seats for women.
According to the law, the parties and alliances are free to nominate any number of candidates, but will elect candidates according to their respective quotas.
If the number of candidates exceeds the quota, the elections will be held according to the ‘single transferable vote’ system, a new election system introduced by the election law, and only the lawmakers will vote to elect candidates of the respective parties or alliances.
‘It has become difficult for me to stay in home and as well as in office as they are lobbying frantically to get nomination to reserved seats [for women],’ a senior minister close to prime minister and AL president Sheikh Hasina told New Age on Saturday. ‘At times, I have to keep my phones switched off,’ the minister added.
Two associate organisations for women belonging to the ruling party— Bangladesh Mahila Awami League and Bangladesh Juba Mahila League— separately submitted two lists of their leaders, requesting premier Sheikh Hasina to give them nominations to the reserved seats, said a presidium member of the party.
The women leaders [of AL and its political allies] who were active in politics after the political changeover on January 11, 2007, are likely to get priority in getting nomination for the reserve seats, an AL party policymaker said.
They include: Ashrafunessa Mosharaf, Fazilatunessa Indira, Faridunahar Laile, Nazma Akhter, Apu Ukil, Tahura Ali, Shahida Tareq Dipti, Shahin Manoara Huq, Mahmuda Begum Krik, Rajia Mostofa, Nasima Akter Banu, Lutfunahar Munni, Tarana Halim and Aroma Dutta of Prip Trust, teacher Shaymali Nasreen Chowdhury and Advocate Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal leader Shirin Akhter and poet Ruby Rahman, wife of late Ganatantri Party president Nurul Islam, and Rawshon Jahan Sathi, wife of slain former Jatiya Samajtantrick Dal leader Kazi Aref Ahmed.
AL is likely to get 35 seats reserved for women.
Nomination seekers from BNP and Jatiyatabadi Mahil Dal, women wing of the party, are also lobbying the party chairperson Khaleda Zia, secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain, Jatiya Sangsad speaker Jamiruddin Sircar and senior leaders MK Anwar and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, according to a vice president of the party.
A group of aspirants for BNP nominations to the reserved seats gathered together at the office of Jamiruddin Sircar at the parliament complex on January 15.
‘This time I will not request for anybody,’ Sircar told Age. ‘How can I make a request as I could not secure my seat in the House?, he said adding that the BNP would get five reserved seats.
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia is likely to consider vice president Sarwari Rahman, Rabeya Chowdury and joint secretary general Selima Rahman for nomination to the reserved seats, an aide to the chairperson said.
Women leaders of Jatiya Party and Jatiyatabadi Mahila Party are also lobbying for the reserved seats to party chairmen HM Ershad and senior leaders close to him, a JP presidium member said. .
Ershad’s wife Rawshan Ershad, sister Marina Rahman and party leader Noor-e-Hasna Lily Chowdhury are likely to be considered for nomination for the reserved seats, he said.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
