Following Ferdousi Ahmed Misti’s resignation, speculation has begun among the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders, activists and supporters over who will fill the vacant reserved seat for women in Parliament.
Former members of parliament (MPs) and senior central leaders are already lobbying for the nomination, while district-level organisers are also making efforts to secure the party’s backing.
Many of those seeking the nomination had failed to secure a reserved seat this time. Some had also competed for the party’s nomination in the directly contested parliamentary election. They believe Misti’s resignation has opened up a new opportunity for them.
Senior BNP leaders say the party is now in power, making a seat in Parliament under the ruling party’s banner particularly attractive. Beyond the familiar faces among its women leaders, many others are also seeking the nomination, approaching senior central leaders at their offices and homes.
The party, however, has yet to decide whom it will select, but the vacancy has generated considerable interest among leaders at various levels, including the Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal, the BNP’s women’s wing.
Misti came under scrutiny over political accountability after people close to her were linked to an attack, looting and the demolition of a building at the Radda Health Centre in Mirpur, Dhaka.
Following instructions from Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, she submitted her resignation to Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad on 1 October. Misti, however, has denied allegations of involvement in the attack and vandalism.
This resignation of Ferdousi Ahmed Misti has left one reserved seat for women vacant. Under the existing system, parties are allocated reserved seats for women in proportion to the number of directly elected MPs they have in Parliament. The vacant seat therefore belongs to the BNP, which will decide who represents the party in Parliament.
Under Section 27 of the Jatiya Sangsad (Reserved Women’s Seats) Election Act, 2004, a by-election must be held within 90 days of a seat becoming vacant. Accordingly, the election is due by 30 December. The election commission has yet to announce the schedule.
Thirty-six women were elected to reserved seats on BNP nominations this time. The gazette notification confirming their election was published on 30 April, and they took the oath of office on 3 May. Misti resigned as an MP within five months.
Familiar faces and senior leaders in the running
Conversations with BNP leaders at various levels suggest that Syeda Asifa Ashrafi Papia, the party’s assistant secretary for human rights affairs, is among those being discussed for Misti’s vacant seat. She has previously served as an MP in a reserved women’s seat.
Papia, whose husband Harunur Rashid is an adviser to the BNP chairperson, has also served as general secretary of the Chapainawabganj district unit BNP. At an event in January this year, she publicly criticised what she described as a lack of generosity within the BNP in awarding party nominations to deserving women.
In the 13th parliamentary election, Harunur Rashid secured the BNP nomination but lost to a Jamaat candidate. At the time, there was speculation within the party that Papia might be appointed to a reserved seat. Both members of the politically prominent couple are now outside Parliament, and their supporters are once again hopeful.
Lawyer Shahana Akhtar Sanu, a member of the BNP’s Central Executive Committee, is also actively seeking the vacant reserved seat. The leader from Sonagazi in Feni rose through the ranks of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the BNP’s student wing.
She served as general secretary of the student union at Badrunnesa Government Women’s College and as president of the college unit of JCD. Shahana Akhtar Sanu also served as a joint secretary of the Mohila Dal. After failing to secure a nomination for a reserved seat this time, she expressed her frustration and disappointment on social media.
Another name being discussed is Ayesha Siddika Moni, also a member of the BNP’s Central Executive Committee. Active in Bagerhat politics, she previously sought the party’s nomination for a parliamentary election. In 2025, she was also included in a BNP committee focusing on women’s contributions to the anti-fascist movement.
Shahinur Nargis, central office secretary of the Mohila Dal, is another aspirant. She served as general secretary and president of the Chhatra Dal unit at Rokeya Hall of Dhaka University. She later held the positions of secretary for women’s affairs and joint general secretary in the central Chhatra Dal. She also served as secretary for education affairs in the Swechchhasebak Dal, the BNP’s volunteer wing, and held a leadership position in the Dhaka South unit of the Mohila Dal.
Women leaders from affiliated organisations and districts also active
Lawyer Shahinur Begum Sagar, a central joint secretary of the Swechchhasebak Dal, is also among the names being discussed. The leader from Noakhali previously served as assistant secretary for women’s affairs and assistant organising secretary in the central Chhatra Dal.
She later became secretary for women’s affairs in the Swechchhasebak Dal. She claimed that her name was included on the BNP’s preliminary nomination list for the Noakhali-4 constituency in the 2018 parliamentary election.
Khandaker Farhana Atika, central secretary for human development affairs of the Mohila Dal, is also interested in Misti’s vacant seat. She has served as a member of the organisation’s Dhaka divisional organising team and participated in its organisational activities in various districts.
Afroza Khanam Nasrin, senior joint convener of the Barishal city unit BNP, is another potential candidate. She previously served as assistant organising secretary of the central Chhatra Dal. In February 2019, police arrested her in Barishal as she was returning from a protest demanding the release of Khaleda Zia and other party leaders.
Masuda Afroz Haque Suchi, general secretary of the Chapainawabganj district Mohila Dal, is also among the nomination seekers. In the last election, she sought the BNP nomination for Chapainawabganj-2, comprising Nachole, Gomostapur and Bholahat.
Alongside her responsibilities in the district Mohila Dal, she is involved in party programmes and public outreach in the area. In September last year, she led a BNP procession marking the party’s founding anniversary in Nachole.
Hasnahena Chowdhury Hira, organising secretary of the Dinajpur district BNP, is also being considered. She was elected directly by party councillors at the district BNP conference in May 2022. Among the candidates elected to the three organising secretary posts, Hira secured the highest number of votes, 1,235. She entered the district leadership through a vote by councillors at the conference, held after a gap of nearly 12 years.
Runa Laila, president of the Dhaka North unit of the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal, is also on the list of those seeking the nomination.
A senior BNP central leader, speaking to Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity, said more than a dozen people were competing for the single seat.
“There is only one seat, but more than a dozen aspirants. Those who have been active in the party’s affiliated organisations for a long time deserve consideration. There are also capable women among the party’s supporters who could play a role in Parliament. The choice will be made after weighing all these factors. It will not be possible to make everyone happy.
“Ultimately, the decision rests with party chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. He has not made his decision public yet. Therefore, all the names currently being discussed should be treated as speculation,” the leader said.