Dhaka’s political landscape remains stubbornly male-dominated as Bangladesh gears up for its February 12 elections. A stark new analysis reveals that out of 2,568 nominations filed, only 109 are women – a mere 4.2% representation.
Salim Jahan, former director of the UNDP’s Human Development Report Office, highlighted this disparity in Bangladesh’s leading daily Prothom Alo. Among these women, 72 have party backing, while 37 are running independently. Shockingly, one in every three female aspirants lacks any political support.
Of the 50 parties contesting, 30 have fielded zero women candidates. This means over half the political outfits ignored women’s participation, despite females comprising more than half the nation’s population. Jahan called this a ‘regrettable failure’ in gender equity.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Marxist Bangladesh Socialist Party (BSP) lead with 10 women each, but BNP’s 3% inclusion from its 328 candidates draws sharp criticism for a party seen as grassroots strong. Hardline Jamaat-e-Islami fielded no women among its 279 nominees.
Parties had informally agreed to at least 5% female candidates, but most fell short. Broader societal patriarchy, reluctance to embrace women in rallies or muscle-driven campaigns, and cultural norms continue to sideline them. Until these barriers crumble, Bangladesh’s democracy stays incomplete.