Bangladesh’s February 12 elections highlight a troubling reality: women hold just 4.2% of candidacies. With 2,568 nominations submitted, only 109 belong to women, per insights from UNDP veteran Salim Jahan in Prothom Alo.
Breaking it down, 72 women secured party tickets, leaving 37 to contest solo – meaning one-third fight without support. Among 50 parties, 30 bizarrely fielded none, a blatant snub given women’s demographic majority.
Leaders BNP and BSP managed 10 each, but BNP’s 10 out of 328 (3%) disappoints observers. Jamaat-e-Islami’s zero from 279 is equally telling. Despite a 5% women quota consensus, compliance was dismal.
Jahan’s report paints a fuller picture of exclusion: limited active involvement, absence from hustings, and a culture unaccustomed to women wielding power. The ‘massa power’ election style further alienates them. Bangladesh must confront these systemic issues for a balanced political future.