Elections

KATHMANDU, Jan 22: Amid the buzz of election fever in the chilly January air, candidates for the House of Representatives (HoR) election on March 5 have been enthusiastically filing their nominations. Yet, a closer look at the numbers tells a striking story: women candidates remain far too few.

Kul Bahadur GC, assistant spokesperson of the Election Commission (EC), says both new and established parties have failed to ensure gender inclusivity in this election. Women’s presence in national politics is still weak, and within parties, female members often lack influence. As a result, women make up only 11.35% of all candidates—a small rise from 9.3% in the 2079 BS election.

Out of 3,486 candidates for the 165 first-past-the-post, or direct, seats, 3,089 are men, 396 women, and 1 from another gender. Experts point to societal patriarchy and male-dominated political culture as key reasons, with men favored in election strategies and campaign resources.

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Political parties were failing to reach a consensus on increasing women’s representation in parliament during discussions with the National Consensus Commission. At one stage, a proposal to nominate at least 5 per cent women candidates was tabled, to which most parties agreed.

Despite opposition from women’s rights activists, the July National Charter was finalised with the provision that 5 per cent of nominations would be allocated to women in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (national parliament) election.

Although Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) agreed to the 5 per cent proposal during discussions with the consensus commission, the party has not adhered to this in this election. Jamaat-e-Islami has not nominated a single woman candidate in any constituency.

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Women were at the forefront of the July 2024 uprising, but in the subsequently formed political structures, insecurity and social backlash gradually pushed them aside. Female students from universities across the country, including Dhaka University, were not only leading participants in the uprising, but they also became victims of attacks and lawsuits by law enforcement agencies. However, the number of female candidates in the post-uprising Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election remained limited, and those who did contest faced extensive cyberbullying.

There were only 62 female candidates in the DUCSU election, accounting for merely 13 percent of the total candidates, even though 48 percent of DUCSU’s voters are female students.

Women’s participation in the Liberation War of 1971 was similarly undervalued in the post-war era. The title Birangana, rather than honouring their contributions, foregrounded the trauma and humiliation they had endured, while obscuring the critical roles they had played on the frontlines. This reflects a long-standing social failure to recognise women’s agency, a problem that persists to this day.

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Despite decades of pledges to ensure women’s political empowerment, the upcoming national election paints a starkly different picture, with female representation on the ballot remaining alarmingly low.

More than 30 registered political parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, have fielded no female candidates, leaving women to make up less than 4.5% of all aspirants in the 13th parliamentary election.

Of the 2,568 nomination papers submitted for the election, only 109 were filed by women—just 4.24 per cent of the total, according to data reviewed by UNB.

The election will see participation from 51 political parties, yet more than 30 of them, including Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, have failed to nominate even a single woman candidate, raising fresh concerns over gender inclusion in national politics.

After scrutiny, the Election Commission (EC) has validated 1,842 candidates, including 1,779 men and only 63 women, meaning women make up just 3.4 percent of the final candidates.

Later, 417 candidates regained their candidacies after appealing to the Election Commission. January 20 was the last day for the withdrawal of candidacies.

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A 2025 Democracy International poll shows strong public demand in Bangladesh for greater political inclusion, with 96% supporting participation of persons with disabilities, 85% calling for better ethnic minority representation, and 81% backing stronger involvement of religious minorities.

The findings were unveiled at a roundtable titled "Priorities of All People in Politics and Government", jointly organised by Democracy International and The Business Standard at its Dhaka office, moderated by TBS associate editor Saleem Ahmed.

Catherine Cecil, Democracy International's Bangladesh chief of party, said inclusion is no longer optional but "a democratic necessity." 

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Human Rights Watch (HRW) has raised alarms over an increase in violence targeting women, children, and religious minorities in Bangladesh as the country prepares for the 13th National Parliamentary Elections scheduled for February 12.

In a report published on its website on January 14, the rights watchdog stated that these attacks highlight the interim government’s failure to uphold human rights following the 2024 "Monsoon Revolution."

Surge in Gender-Based Violence
Citing police data, the report noted that gender-based violence from January to June 2025 has surpassed figures from the same period in 2024. Dr. Fauzia Moslem, President of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, attributed the decline in safety to the rising influence of religious groups and their provocative rhetoric.

According to Dr. Moslem, these groups are actively working to restrict women's freedom of movement and social participation. The report highlighted that since May 2025—when hardline groups labeled government gender equality efforts as "un-Islamic"—women have increasingly faced verbal, physical, and digital harassment, leading to a "silencing effect."

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