The Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party electoral alliance today submitted a list of 13 candidates to the Election Commission (EC) for reserved women’s seats in the 13th National Parliament.

The alliance members, led by Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad handed over the nominations to EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed in the morning.

Of the 13 candidates, eight are from Jamaat-e-Islami, two from the National Citizen Party (NCP), and one each from the Jatiya Gonotantrik Party (Jagpa) and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis. One nominee represents a July martyr’s family.

The Jamaat nominees include Nurunnisa Siddika, secretary of its central women’s wing; Marzia Begum, assistant secretary; Sabikun Nahar Munni, secretary of the law and human resources department; Mardia Momtaz, a teacher at Daffodil International University; Nazmun Nahar Nilu, secretary of publicity and cultural affairs; Mahfuza Hannan from Sylhet; Sajeda Samad, a Bogura-based leader and former upazila women vice-chairman; and Shamsunnahar Begum from Chattogram.

From the NCP, Monira Sharmin, convener of its women’s platform Jatiya Nari Shakti, and member secretary Mahmuda Alam Mitu were nominated.

Jagpa Chairman Tasmia Pradhan and Mahbuba Hakim of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis’s women’s wing also submitted nominations.

Rokeya Begum, mother of six-year-old July martyr Jabir Ibrahim, has been nominated as well.

Speaking to reporters after the submission, Azad said the list had been finalised jointly by the alliance.

“There is no scope for rival candidates here. These 13 nominees are expected to be elected unopposed,” he said, adding that discussions had been held with the commission on this basis.

He said that as parliament is already in session, timely inclusion of the women members would meet expectations of representation.

Azad said the nominees would represent women in legislative processes with full constitutional rights and privileges.

He added that opposition lawmakers would resist any “anti-people” decisions by the government, noting that the inclusion of 13 women MPs would raise the alliance’s parliamentary strength to 90 members alongside 77 opposition MPs.

On the issue of a referendum, Azad alleged that the government had failed to act on a mandate to form a constitutional reform council.

“We are protesting the government’s disregard of the people’s mandate. We have raised the issue in parliament and continue to demonstrate on the streets,” he said.