A breakdown of women candidates’ performance in the polls

Seven women have secured seats in Bangladesh's 13th parliamentary election — a modest figure that nonetheless carries political weight, as six of them belong to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the party poised to form the next government with more than two-thirds of the total seats.

This electoral outcome follows a period of profound civic engagement where women played an indispensable role. During the July Uprising, which served as a catalyst for the country's political transition, women were present at every level of the movement. 

Female students, professionals, and mothers were visible at the frontlines, coordinating logistics and sustaining the moral momentum that ultimately brought about change. Their participation was widely acknowledged as a cornerstone of the movement's success.

However, as formal power began to be redistributed, a gap emerged between this grassroots agency and legislative representation. 

In an election that has supposedly reshaped the country's political landscape, female representation in general seats remains limited. A total of 83 women contested nationwide. Of them, 63 were nominated by political parties and 20 ran as independents, according to preliminary data. From that field, seven emerged victorious.

The BNP's dominance among the successful candidates reflects the broader electoral sweep. In Manikganj-3, Afroza Khanam Rita secured a decisive win with 166,175 votes. In Jhalakathi-2 (Sadar–Nalchity), former lawmaker and former district BNP general secretary Esrat Sultana Elen Bhutto returned to parliament, winning by a margin of 42,863 votes.

Sylhet-2 (Biswanath and Osmaninagar) also fell to the BNP, where Tahsina Rushdir Luna defeated her rival by 79,251 votes, according to unofficial results.

Faridpur delivered two victories for the party. Shama Obaid won Faridpur-2 (Saltha–Nagarkanda) with 121,694 votes, while Nayab Yusuf Kamal secured Faridpur-3 with 148,545 votes, reinforcing the BNP's strong showing in the district.

In Natore-1 (Lalpur–Bagatipara), BNP-nominated Barrister Farzana Sharmin Putul was unofficially declared elected after securing 102,726 votes.

The only winner outside the BNP fold was independent candidate Barrister Rumeen Farhana, who claimed Brahmanbaria-2 (Sarail, Ashuganj and part of Bijoynagar). Contesting with the 'duck' symbol, she secured 117,495 votes and was unofficially declared elected. Farhana, a former BNP lawmaker, had been expelled from the party ahead of the polls.

While the BNP fielded 10 women candidates, other parties nominated smaller numbers: the National Citizen Party (NCP) three, the Jatiya Party six, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) six, Gono Odhikar Parishad three, and Ganosamhati Andolon five. Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Andolan Bangladesh did not nominate any female candidates.

Despite the visibility of women voters throughout polling day — with centres across the country witnessing a notable turnout of female voters from early morning — the number of women directly elected to general seats marks a decline from recent elections.

In the 12th parliament elected in 2024, 19 women won general seats. The figure stood at 22 in 2018 and 18 in 2014. The highest number came in 2008, when 19 women were elected.

The contrast between strong female voter participation and the limited number of women entering parliament through direct contest underscores a familiar tension in Bangladesh's electoral politics: women remain highly engaged in the democratic process, yet their representation in general seats continues to lag behind previous highs