Ruling Awami League on Tuesday started selling the nomination form for the reserved seat for women in parliament.
As many as 810 aspirants, including some stars from the movie world, collected nomination forms from the AL central office on Bangabandhu Avenue in the capital on the first day of a three-day sale of nomination forms, priced at Tk 50,000 each.
The aspirants will have to submit their forms by 4:00pm Thursday.
Statistic shows that the AL got 43 reserved seats out of 50 in the 11th parliament while some 1510 aspirants collected nomination forms.
Sources said that the AL party president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina might pick up the trusted and dedicated leaders this time by showing the door to a majority number of former reserved seat MPs.
Of the 43 MPs of previous parliament, AL finance and planning affairs secretary Waseqa Ayesha Khan, Mahila AL general secretary Shabnam Jahan and AL former women affairs secretary Fazilatun Nessa Indira might be considered this time too, they said.
The premier may give the nomination to those family members who have been deprived of getting the party ticket to contest in parliamentary polls.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier hinted that dedicated leaders of the party would be given the nomination while former MP’s, except some few, might not be considered this time.
Sources said that the AL president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held a meeting with aspirants recently at her official residence Ganabhaban and expressed her desire to provide new candidates a chance.
Some 30 aspirants spoke at the meeting and expressed their desire to get the nomination.
Sources said when a former reserved seat MP rose to speak, the AL president said, “You were a lawmaker in 11th parliament. Why are you seeking the nomination again?”
Meanwhile, the Election Commission on Tuesday fixed March 14 as the voting day for the reserved seat in parliament.
Record shows that some 275 aspirants from Dhaka division bought forms while 149 from Chattogram, 90 from Rajshahi, 77 from Khulna, 75 from Rangpur, 62 from Mymensingh, 56 from Barishal and 26 from Sylhet division.
The AL won 223 seats in the January 7 general elections while the independent candidates won 62 seats, Jatiya Party won 11 seats, AL led 14-party alliance ---Jatiya Samjtantrik Dal and Workers Party---got one seat each and Kalyan Party got one seat.
As per the rule, a party got one reserved seat against six members. In that contest, the ruling party gets 48 seats as the independent candidates extend support to the ruling party while the JP will get the rest two seats.
The EC earlier sent letters to the political parties having representation in parliament and independent lawmakers requesting them to clear their position so that the EC could distribute the number of reserved seats among the parties.
A festive environment was prevailing around the AL central office as aspirants thronged the venue with their supporters.
Stars from Some noted heroines, including Apu Biswas, Nipun Akter, Sohana Sabah and Tanveen Sweety who haven ruling the film industry, also collected the nomination forms.
Film stars like Urmila Srabonti Kor and Syeda Kamrun Nahar Shahnur, who have been active in politics, have also bought nomination forms.