The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Friday started distributing nomination forms for the women’s reserved seats in the 13th National Parliament, marking the beginning of its selection process for the upcoming election.
The activities officially began at 11am at the party’s central office in Nayapaltan in the capital, where BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi inaugurated the sale of forms.
Party leaders and aspiring candidates from different parts of the country gathered at the venue to collect applications.
According to party sources, nomination forms will be available until 12 April. Each form is priced at Tk2,000, and candidates are required to submit a deposit of Tk50,000 along with their applications.
Speaking at the programme, Rizvi highlighted BNP’s long struggle and reiterated its commitment to ensuring democratic practices through a free and fair electoral process.
He stressed the importance of active participation and meaningful debate in parliament as essential elements of a functioning democracy.
He also referred to past political situation, alleging that opposition leaders and activists faced repression, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial actions.
Rizvi praised women leaders’ participation, noting that many of the aspirants have remained active despite facing hardships over the past one and a half decades.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission has scheduled the election for the reserved seats on 12 May. Nomination papers must be submitted by 21 April, with scrutiny set for 22 and 23 April. Appeals will be heard between 26 and 28 April, while 29 April is the final date for withdrawal of candidature. Election symbols will be allotted on 30 April.
In the 350-member Parliament, 50 seats are reserved for women, with 36 allocated to the BNP-led alliance, 13 to the Jamaat-e-Islami alliance and one reserved for independent candidates.
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