19 women triumph with higher turnout

Nineteen women candidates emerged victorious in the 12th parliamentary election. Ten of them were incumbents.

The number was 22 in 2018, which is the highest till now.

In at least 11 of the constituencies where female candidates won, the voter turnout exceeded 43 percent, surpassing the national average of 41.8 percent, according to the Election Commission data.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina won Gopalganj-3 which saw the highest voter turnout of 87.24 percent.

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury was re-elected from Rangpur-6 with a substantial margin, where voter turnout exceeded 48 percent. Notable Awami League figures, including Habibun Nahar (Bagerhat-3), Matia Chowdhury (Sherpur-2), and Shahin Akter (Cox's Bazar-4), clinched victories where voter turnouts were 58 percent, 56.65 percent, and 48.98 percent, respectively.

Other re-elected MPs from AL include Education Minister Dipu Moni (Chandpur-3), Syeda Zakia Noor (Kishoreganj-1), Sagufta Yasmin (Munshiganj-2), and Umme Kulsum Smrity (Gaibandha-3).

Jannat Ara Henry from Sirajganj-2 and Sultana Nadira from Barguna-2, both elected with AL nominations, secured victory with voter turnouts of 48.84 percent and 49.86 percent, respectively.

AL candidates Sahadara Mannan (Bogura-1), Rumana Ali (Gazipur-3), Simon Hossain Rimi (Gazipur-4), and Khadizatul Anwar (Chattogram-2) also emerged victorious.

As many as 96 women candidates participated in the election this time, marking the highest number to date. Of them, AL initially nominated 24, although they withdrew two before the polls. Fifteen of them won.

Besides, four women running as independent candidates have emerged victorious in different constituencies.

Jaya Sen Gupta, previously an AL supported MP, contested and won as an independent candidate in Sunamganj-2. The voter turnout there was 47 percent.

Jaya is the widow of Suranjit Sengupta, a senior AL leader and former minister. She was elected MP in 2018 in her late husband's seat with AL ticket.

Tahmina Begum (Madaripur-3) won in her constituency against AL supported incumbent MP Abdus Sobhan Golap, where voter turnout was 45 percent.

Amatul Kibria Keya Chowdhury also won as an independent candidate from Habiganj-1.

In Gaibandha-1, Engineer Abdullah Nahid Nigar, an independent candidate and the daughter of Sundarganj Ppazila AL President Afruza Bari, emerged victorious.

Bari's nomination from the seat was withdrawn by the AL in a consensus with the Jatiyo Party. Despite this, Bari's daughter, Nigar, contested the election against heavyweight JP candidate -- two-time lawmaker Barrister Shamim Haider Patwary -- and defeated him.