Samajik Protirodh Committee pushes back on plan to keep 50 reserved seats for women

The Samajik Protirodh Committee, a coalition of 67 women’s rights, human rights and development organisations, has rejected a proposal to keep 50 reserved seats for women in Parliament through party nomination until 2043.

In a statement on Tuesday, the platform expressed “deep surprise” that political parties had agreed to such a “regressive” notion, adding that Bangladeshi women were ready to contest reserved seats through direct elections, reports bdnews24.com.

The reserved seat issue drew the most disagreement during the National Consensus Commission’s dialogue with political parties, according to the panel’s Vice-Chairman Ali Riaz.

While leftist parties, including the Communist Party of Bangladesh and the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, support direct elections for 100 women’s seats, the National Citizen Party proposed direct voting in 100 women’s seats under a rotational system.

The BNP and like-minded parties proposed retaining 100 reserved seats under the current system, with Jamaat-e-Islami and Islamist parties favouring elections on a proportional basis.

The Consensus Commission’s latest proposal would keep the 50 existing reserved seats and require parties to nominate women for 7 percent of general seats in the next election. The share will gradually increase to 15 percent in the 14th parliamentary election and by 5 percent in each subsequent poll until women hold 100 directly elected seats.

The Samajik Protirodh Committee has instead demanded increasing total parliamentary seats to 450, with 150 reserved for women, all filled through direct elections from defined constituencies.

“Bangladeshi women are now ready to be directly elected to reserved seats through popular vote, ensuring equal rights, equal dignity, and the ability to play an effective and meaningful role in Parliament. They are also capable of visibly influencing government decisions on women’s issues in the interest of women,” it said.

It urged political parties to reconsider the consensus decision and called on the public to speak out to ensure women’s political empowerment in building a democratic and equal state.