EC Sets May 12 for Reserved Women’s Seat Elections

Following the 11th commission meeting held at the Election Building in Agargaon on Monday, April 6, 2026, EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed announced that the voting will take place on Tuesday, May 12. The formal election schedule, outlining nomination deadlines and scrutiny periods, is set to be officially declared on April 8. This announcement provides a clear timeline for political parties to finalize their female representatives for the 50 reserved seats in the legislature.

In accordance with the Constitution and the Representation of the People Order (RPO), the 50 reserved seats are distributed among political parties and alliances based on their proportional strength in the general seats of the 13th Parliament. According to the current seat distribution, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is set to secure 36 reserved seats individually. The Jamaat-led alliance is expected to receive 13 seats. Additionally, independent candidates—who were previously expelled from the BNP but won seven general seats—have secured enough proportional representation to be allotted one reserved women’s seat in the parliament.

The EC Secretary emphasized that the commission is legally mandated to complete the reserved seat elections within 90 days of the publication of the general election gazette. With the official gazette for the general seats published on February 13, the constitutional deadline falls on May 14, 2026. By scheduling the vote for May 12, the commission aims to fulfill its legal obligations with two days to spare. Major political parties represented in the House have already initiated internal preparations and primary screenings to nominate their candidates for the upcoming polls.