With around six weeks remaining in the 90-day legal timeframe to hold the election for the women’s reserved seats in parliament, the Election Commission has yet to fix a polling schedule.

Preparations have intensified within the ruling BNP and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami over nominations for the reserved women’s seats in the 13th national parliament as both parties step up internal consultations ahead of the final allocation.

The National Consensus Commission proposed establishing an upper house comprising elected representatives from each district and city corporation, and suggested abolishing the current system of reserved seats for women in parliament.