With the 11th general election just three months away, many female politicians have begun campaigning for party nominations in half of the six constituencies of Rajshahi.
After Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declared that a minimum of 33% of candidates should be women, much enthusiasm has been noticed among the aspiring female lawmakers of Poba-Mohanpur, Bagmara, and Puthia-Durgapur.
Rajshahi 3
In Poba-Mohanpur (Rajshahi 3) constituency, candidates include the Rajshahi district AL vice president Begum Akhtar Jahan, and the local party’s women's president, Morjina Parvin, who has twice before stood for the nomination.
“Even when District Awami League President Meraj Uddin Mollah was an MP, I was ahead of him among the grassroots votes,” Morjina said. “I am working on my prospects for the nomination this time, too.”
For the main opposition BNP, the former MP Jahan Panna has been hoping for a nomination.
“I believe I am worthy of getting the nomination as I have experience as a Member of Parliament and was involved with BNP politics during my student days,” she said. “People of that area also want me as a member.”
The number of registered voters in Rajshahi 3 constituency is 337,552.
Rajshahi 4
In Bagmara (Rajshahi 4) constituency, the former state minister for women and children affairs and Rajshahi district Awami League vice president, Professor Zinatunnesa Talukder, has been hoping for a nomination and has already started campaigning in her own area.
The expected number of voters from Rajshahi 4 constituency is around 281,000.
Rajshahi 5
In Puthia-Durgapur (Rajshahi 5) constituency, the former student leader of Rajshahi University and the founding president of Rajshahi district Jubo Mohila League, Professor Nargis Suraiya Sultana Shelly, has been working to achieve a nomination.
She has been the president of district Jubo Mohila League twice and been associated with Awami League politics for a long time. Her husband, Shariful Islam Sharif, was also general secretary of the Rajshahi University Chhatra League wing.
“I believe I deserve to be nominated in the constituency as my whole family has a history of association with Awami League politics,” she said.
Nargis Suraiya described Sheikh Hasina’s declaration of nominating 33% women as a big step towards female empowerment.
“Due to the announcement, those of us who have been involved with student politics and are now involved with Awami League, found an opportunity to serve people,” she said.
“I wanted the nomination to make use of that opportunity. I have already started campaigning in the area and organized small meetings. We have shown them how the government has worked development of the country.”
Nargis Suraiya said that even though the campaigns have started, she would work on behalf of the person nominated by the party’s high command.
From BNP, the candidates of the reserved parliamentary seats are National Executive Committee member Shahidun Nahar Kazi Henna, twice-elected Rajshahi City Corporation Counsellor Shamsun Nahar, Advocate Rowshan Ara Poppy, Advocate Shamsad Begum Mitali, Principal Sakina Khatun Tuku, and Parvin Sultana Dulali.
The number of registered voters in Rajshahi 5 constituency is 300,977.
