The Election Commission (EC) has declared Nusrat Tabassum, joint convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and nominee of the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance, elected unopposed to a reserved women’s seat in the 13th National Parliament.

Returning Officer and EC Joint Secretary Md Moin Uddin Khan issued a circular on Monday night confirming her win.

The circular stated that, in compliance with a High Court order on April 27, Nusrat’s nomination paper was accepted and scrutinised on May 2. Under Section 12 of the Jatiya Sangsad (Reserved Women’s Seat) Election Act, 2004, she was declared elected without contest.

On April 8, the EC announced the schedule for elections to 50 reserved women’s seats, setting April 21 as the deadline for filing nominations. Within the deadline, 53 aspirants submitted papers. Nusrat filed her nomination 19 minutes past the deadline at the EC’s dispatch branch, which the returning officer initially refused to accept.

She later moved the High Court, which directed the EC to accept her nomination. Following scrutiny on May 2, the EC declared her candidacy valid.

Another NCP joint convener, Monira Sharmin, also filed nomination papers with Jamaat alliance endorsement but was disqualified during scrutiny for not completing three years since retirement from government service.

On Sunday, Monira wrote to the EC requesting that Nusrat’s name not be gazetted until the High Court rules on her petition seeking reinstatement.