DHAKA, Feb 25, 2024 (BSS) – All fifty candidates of Awami League were declared elected unopposed in the 50 seats reserved for women in the 12th Jatiya Sangsad (JS).

 At the end of deadline for withdrawal of nomination papers today, returning officer Md Moniruzzaman Talukdar announced each candidate in 50 reserved seats as winners, director (public relations) of the Election Commission secretariat Shariful Alam confirmed this evening.  

 The polling date for this election was March 14. But vote was not required as there was no contestant. 

Alam said the gazette notification will be issued on February 27. 

Members of parliament who were elected in direct vote in the national elections were  the voters of this election. 

Among the 300 seats in the JS, women's reserved seats are distributed proportionally to the number of seats obtained by different parties or alliances. 

With the support of 62 independent members and two seats of the 14-party alliance, Awami League got 48 seats and Jatiya Party got 2 reserved seats. 

Awami League won 224 seats in the 12th Jatiya Sangsad elections held on January 7. Jatiya Party has 11 seats while AL-led 14-party alliance Workers Party got 1 seat and Jasad 1 seat. Besides, Bangladesh Kalyan Party got 1 seat.

Candidates nominated by Awami League and Jatiya Party in the reserved 50 women's seats submitted their nomination papers to the Returning Officer on February 18. 

After that, all the nomination papers were declared valid in the selection on February 19 and 20. 

The last date for withdrawal of candidature was February 25 till 4 pm. 

All 50 candidates were declared winners as none withdrew their nominations within the stipulated time.

Returning Officer Md. Moniruzzaman Talukdar told reporters at his office at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital’s Agargaon this afternoon that he received a total of 50 nomination papers and all papers were valid in scrutiny.