Jan 14 – Women’s rights groups in Bangladesh have accused political parties and the Election Commission of presiding over what they called a “nomination crisis”, warning that the country is headed for one of its weakest elections for women’s representation in decades.
Speaking at a press conference in Dhaka on Monday, forum leaders said women’s participation in the upcoming polls remains “extremely disappointing”, despite a late rush of a few independent female candidates entering the race.
The briefing, titled “Nomination Crisis of Women Candidates: Gap between Parties’ Commitments and Implementation and the Accountability of the Election Commission”, was held at the Sagar-Runi Auditorium of the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity and brought together a coalition of civil society organisations, including Gonoshasthaya Abhijan, Durbaar Network Foundation, Nagorik Coalition, Nari Udyog Kendra (NUK), Nari Pokkho, Feminist Alliance of Bangladesh (FAB), Bangladesh Nari Mukti Kendra and Voice for Reform, among others.
The groups said that while the Election Commission repeatedly speaks of delivering a “gender-inclusive election”, that commitment is not reflected in candidate nominations or party action.
They also renewed their opposition to reserved seats for women, arguing that quotas risk reinforcing tokenism. Instead, they said women should be supported to contest directly and win seats on merit.
Forum leaders claimed that 54 years after independence, Bangladesh is witnessing an election with the lowest participation of women candidates, describing it as an embarrassment for the political system.
“If political parties fail to uphold their own manifestos and commitments, why should women trust them in the future?” speakers asked.
Forum leader Samina Yasmin noted that women make up nearly half — and possibly more — of the electorate, saying parties cannot claim legitimacy while sidelining such a significant voting bloc.
“Is it really possible to come to power by excluding 51 percent of the population and relying on the remaining 49 percent?” she asked, urging greater mobilisation of women voters and stronger political participation.
Yasmin said the forum is working with women candidates who are actively campaigning to document the barriers they face and identify pathways to address them. She said the coalition intends to meet the Election Commission to push for reforms and will also examine whether legal or institutional measures can be pursued if political parties fail to meet the target of 33 percent women’s representation.
“Even if there is no scope for immediate punitive measures this time, the issue cannot be ignored,” she said.
