A total of 65 women submitted nomination forms to the BNP today (17 October) for the by-election to reserved women's seat No 23 in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad.
The forms were submitted throughout the day at the BNP's central office in Nayapaltan, said BNP Assistant Office Secretary Tarikul Islam Tenzing.
He said interviews of the nomination aspirants would be held on Monday (19 October ) at the office of the BNP chairman in Gulshan.
Members of the BNP's National Standing Committee will be present at the interviews. The party's National Standing Committee meeting effectively served as its nomination board.
Party sources said the women who collected nomination forms included former BNP lawmakers, central leaders and organisers at the district and metropolitan levels.
According to sources at the BNP's Nayapaltan central office, the women who submitted forms included BNP Assistant Secretary for Human Rights Affairs and former MP Syeda Asifa Ashrafi Papiya, and members of the party's National Executive Committee, Shahana Akter Sanu and Ayesha Siddika Moni.
Others included Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal Central Office Secretary Shahinur Nargis, Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal Central Joint Secretary Shahinur Begum, Mohila Dal Central Secretary for Human Development Affairs Khandaker Farhana Atika, Barishal Metropolitan BNP Senior Joint Convener Afroza Khanam, Chapainawabganj District Mohila Dal General Secretary Masuda Afroz Haque, Dhaka North Metropolitan Mohila Dal President Runa Laila and Dinajpur District BNP Organising Secretary Hasnahena Hira.
Veteran women's leader Jelly Chowdhury also collected a nomination form, along with BNP National Executive Committee members Sabera Alauddin Hena and Shimki Imam Khan.
Former Chattogram Metropolitan Mohila Dal Publicity Secretary Dewan Mahmuda Akter, Syeda Adiba Hossain, who was among the aspirants discussed for nomination in the 13th parliamentary election, and Eden Mohila College Chhatra Dal Convener Rehana Akter Shirin were also among those who collected forms.
The nomination aspirants said they had actively participated in street movements and struggles in the past, and many of them had faced repression at different times.
They expressed hope that the party's top leadership would nominate them in recognition of their sacrifices.
Earlier, on Friday, a total of 70 women collected BNP nomination forms for the by-election to reserved women's seat No 23 in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad.
According to the Election Commission's schedule, 26 October is the deadline for submitting nomination papers for the by-election to reserved women's seat No 23.
The nomination papers will be scrutinised on October 27, the last date for withdrawal of candidacy is 1 November, and voting will take place on 12 November.
Earlier, on 1 October, BNP reserved-seat MP Ferdousy Ahmed Mishti resigned after being instructed to step down by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
The Parliament Secretariat subsequently issued a gazette notification declaring the seat vacant under Article 67(2) of the Constitution.
The development came amid allegations of her involvement in an attack, vandalism, looting and demolition at the Radda MCH-FP Centre, a maternal and child healthcare facility in Mirpur.
The health centre was attacked and vandalised around midnight, with allegations that ruling party leaders and activists at different levels were involved.
Mishti, however, denied any involvement in the incident.