Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader announced that the party has finalized candidates for 33 seats in the Rangpur Division and 36 seats in the Rajshahi Division, totalling 69 seats, on Thursday.
"We will not release the list until nominations are confirmed in all constituencies. The official announcement of the list will be made collectively," Quader said at a briefing after the party's parliamentary nomination board meeting at the Dhaka district Awami League building in Tejgaon on Thursday.
Quader informed that the meeting of Awami League's parliamentary nomination board has been rescheduled for 10am on Friday.
Regarding decisions made by the nomination board, Quader said: "I am not aware of any non-political factors influencing our nomination board's decisions. I cannot confirm at this moment how many current members of Parliament are not seeking re-election. Candidates accepted by the people have been given priority in the selection process. The names of the candidates will be officially announced on November 25," he added.
When asked about Awami League's stance on “rebellious” candidates who defy party decisions, Quader replied: "First, we will identify the rebels, and then we will decide on a course of action."
Quader commented on the festive atmosphere surrounding the elections nationwide, adding: "The coalition dynamics will be different. It is challenging to predict alliances and their limits. The coalition might form before the elections, but there is still time. Lists may also be finalized. It's a possibility — neither you nor I can predict who will ally with whom."
The party's parliamentary nomination board meeting commenced at 10:10am on Thursday at the Awami League office and concluded at 2pm. Awami League President and Parliamentary Nomination Board President Sheikh Hasina chaired the meeting.
Party sources revealed that previous parliamentary election nomination board meetings were held at the Dhanmondi office of the party president and Ganabhaban, the official residence of the prime minister.
However, due to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina refraining from engaging in political activities at Ganabhaban ahead of the election, the nomination board meeting was conducted at the Tejgaon office of the Dhaka district Awami League.
A total of 3,362 Awami League nomination forms were sold for the 12th national parliamentary election, generating an income of Tk16.81 crore for the party.