Awami League struggles to find female candidates for Union Parishad polls

Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has repeatedly instructed the party to give more nominations to female candidates, but the nominations for the second phase of the Union Parishad polls suggest that the party has been struggling to find female leaders at the grassroots level.

A total of 848 unions across the country are set to hold polls in the second phase on November 11. The Awami League has given party tickets to just 18 female candidates in this phase. In contrast, the number of male candidates is a whopping 830. 

Nazma Akhtar, president of Jubo Mohila League, the female youth wing of Awami League, blamed patriarchy as well as chauvinism for the lack of female candidates.

“I can say confidently that Bangladesh has many female leaders up to the union level who are capable of running local government bodies. However, I think party leaders who are handling the nomination process do not believe that women are capable, even though Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina wants more women in leadership,” she told this newspaper on Monday.

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She also said party teams responsible for collecting information on aspiring candidates should shoulder some of the blame for failing to provide reports on promising female leaders.

On condition of anonymity, some female leaders of the Awami League also said few women were given nominations as nomination board President Sheikh Hasina was the only person who spoke for female candidates.

However, Abdur Rahman, a member of the Awami League’s nomination board for local government elections, told Dhaka Tribune many female candidates did not show any enthusiasm for contesting in the polls.

“We cannot force them if they do not wish to be candidates, but we are trying to encourage female candidates,” he said.

Of the 18 female candidates granted Awami League tickets for the second phase of the Union Parishad polls, two are from Kushtia District: Sharmin Akter Nasrin in Poradah union and Rowshon Ara Begum in Bahichar union.

Mahbubul Alam Hanif, joint general secretary of the Awami League and a Kushtia lawmaker, said: “The Awami League is trying to fulfill its commitment of 30% women representation in the party in a timely manner. We have picked capable female candidates for the local government elections wherever we can.” 

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He added that the party would gradually increase the number of female candidates at the grassroots level.

Mahmuda Begum, general secretary of Bangladesh Mohila Awami League, the female wing of the Awami League, said: “If you think about 5-7 years ago, there were no women with the courage to compete in local government elections or mayoral races. However, now we have some female candidates. I think this is happening all because of Sheikh Hasina.”

She also said the number of female candidates would increase over time.

Currently, the Awami League has two nomination boards for picking party candidates: a parliamentary board and a local government board.  

Sheikh Hasina is the chief of both boards, but Awami League presidium member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury is the only other female representative on both of them. Furthermore, Chowdhury attends few board meetings due to complications related to old age.

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Awami League Joint General Secretary and Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni is a female member of the local government nomination board, but she has also been unable to attend many meetings over the past year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

18 female chairman candidates in second phase

Nasirnagar union of Nasirnagar upazila, Brahmanbaria district, Putul Rani Das;

Dakkhin Mithachori union of Ramu upazila, Cox’s Bazar district, Khodesta Begum Rina;

Bhatshala union of Sherpur upazila, Sherpur district, Nazmun Nahar;

Bolian union of Phulbaria upazila, Mymensingh district, Hazera Khatun;

Amirganj union of Raipura upazila, Narsingdi district, Shahana Begum;

Angaria union of Shariatpur upazila, Shariatpur district, Asma Akter;

Rukundipur union of Akkelpur upazila, Jaipurhat district, Kamrunnahar Shimul;

Boalia union, Naogaon district, Afelatun Nesa;

Koteshwor union of Raninagar upazila, Naogaon district, Chandrana Sharmin;

Nagar union of Boraigram upazila, Natore district, Nilufar Yeasmin;

Chandai union of Baraigram upazila, Natore, Shahnaj Parvin;

SBK union of Moheshpur upazila, Jhenidah district, Shamima Sultana;

Moghi union of Magura sadar, Magura district, Hasna Hena;

Khornia union of Dumuria upazila, Khulna disrict, Afroza Khanom;

Poradah union of Kushtia district, Sharmin Akter Nasrin;

Bahichar union of Veramara, Kushtia district, Rowshon Ara Begum;

Badarpur union of Patuakhali Sadar upazila, Patuakhali district, Tanjin Nahar Sonia;

Rajnagar union of Rampal upazila, Bagerhat disrict, Sultana Parvin.