EC prepares for election to women's reserved seats

The Election Commission (EC) is now getting ready to arrange the contest for the parliamentary seats reserved exclusively for women.

Nomination papers for the election have already been printed. "The Election Commission has accordingly started preparations," EC Additional Secretary Mukhlesur Rahman said adding: "The commission will announce the election schedule once the necessary preparations are completed." 

The reserved seats are allocated to political parties in proportion with their number of seats in parliament. Accordingly, 43 seats will be allotted to  the Awami League, four to the Jatiya Party, one apiece for the BNP and the Workers' Party while the independent candidates may receive one seat if they join the votes.

Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad, the leader of the opposition in parliament, has submitted a list of four candidates from his party to the speaker on Wednesday.

The election to the 50 reserved seats is required to be held within 90 days after the election results are published in a gazette. The 11th parliamentary election was held on December 30 and then the gazette was issued on January 2. The MPs were sown in the following day and AL President Sheikh Hasina has formed her fourth cabinet on January 7.

The new parliament will go into its first session on January 30. The election to the reserved seats could be held that day if preparations are completed by then.