The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) officially began the sale of nomination forms for the reserved women’s seats in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad on Friday.

The process was inaugurated by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at the party’s central office in Nayapaltan at approximately 11 am.

Addressing a large gathering of aspiring candidates, Rizvi outlined the criteria for selection, emphasizing that the party’s parliamentary board will prioritize political contributions and leadership.

"The board will select nominees based on their roles in movements over the past 16-17 years, as well as their ability to represent the party effectively in Parliament," he said.

He further cautioned against internal friction, stating, “Everyone must respect the party’s decision,” and urged activists to maintain unity regardless of the final selections.

The first nomination form was handed to Jerin Delwar Hossain, followed by Fatema Asad, wife of the founding convener of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal.

Hundreds of women leaders gathered at the office, paying a fee of BDT 2,000 per form. The sale will continue until April 12, which is also the deadline for submission.

This follows the Election Commission’s (EC) announcement of the election schedule on Wednesday. According to the proportional representation system, the BNP and its allies have been allocated 36 of the 50 reserved seats.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its partners will receive 13 seats, while independent lawmakers are allocated one.

While the voting is scheduled for May 12, it is often a formality as parties typically nominate candidates equal to their allocated share.

Under current law, the EC is required to hold these elections within 90 days of the gazette notification of the general election results, which was issued on February 13.