13th National Parliamentary Election76 females, one transgender in polls

A total of 76 women and one transgender candidates are in the fray for the parliamentary elections, comprising 61 party nominees and 16 independents.

According to the final candidate list, the BNP has fielded 10 female candidates.

The Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist) has also nominated 10 women, followed by the Jatiya Party with six and the National Citizen Party with two.

Other parties include

• Gono Forum – 2

• Bangladesh Muslim League – 1

• Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BaSaD) – 4

• Ganosamhati Andolon – 3

• Gono Odhikar Parishad (GOP) – 3

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD – 6

• Nagorik Oikya – 1

• Republican Party of Bangladesh – 1

• Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh – 2

In addition, the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Aam Janatar Dal, Islamic Front Bangladesh, NPP, AB Party, and Bangladesh Labour Party have each fielded one female candidate, while Insaniyat Biplob has nominated four.

Of the 51 political parties participating in the election, only 20 have nominated female candidates, while the remaining 31 have none.

Out of 1,981 total candidates, women make up only 3.5 percent of party nominees and nearly 7 percent of independent aspirants.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) voiced disappointment over the low figures, noting that no party met the 5 percent target proposed in the July Charter.

TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman observed on Thursday that while Islamist parties have increased their overall nominations to 36 percent, major groups like Jamaat-e-Islami have not fielded a single woman.

He attributed this failure to the influence of money, muscle power, and religious extremism in political culture.

This election sees the second-highest number of female candidates in the country's history, trailing only the 12th national election, where 94 women contested and 19 were elected.

Transgender Candidate

Anowara Islam Rani, president of the Nyay Odhikar Third Gender Development Association, is contesting in the polls for the second time.

Having secured 23,339 votes in Rangpur-3 during the previous election, she is now running as an independent candidate under the “deer” symbol.

Rani said she hopes for victory if law and order remain stable and voters can overcome their fears. She noted that a sense of panic persists among the public, leaving marginalised communities feeling particularly threatened.

Rani revealed that she initially had no plans to contest due to financial constraints but decided to run following requests from her supporters.

She described the election as a significant challenge, citing a "deteriorating" security situation and the prevalence of muscle power.

Expressing her own sense of insecurity, she mentioned that unlike the previous election, she now feels constant fear when campaigning late at night or in remote areas.

While she has not faced physical attacks from rivals, she reported being subjected to severe online bullying and character assassination.

Currently, there are 1,120 transgender voters out of a total electorate of 127.6 million in Bangladesh.

Rani remains the sole representative of her community in the parliamentary race.