A press conference was held on 27 January 2026 at 10:30 AM at the Zahur Hossain Chowdhury Hall of the National Press Club, organized by the Social Action Committee—a platform comprising 71 women’s, human rights, and development organizations. The objective of the press conference was to present the recommendations submitted to the Chief Election Commissioner through a memorandum concerning the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election.
The memorandum highlighted concerns and recommendations regarding the security of women, religious minorities, and marginalized communities in the context of the forthcoming election.
The press conference was moderated by Dr. Fauzia Moslem, President of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP). The recommendations were presented by Mariam Nesha, Lead of Women’s Rights and Gender Equality at ActionAid Bangladesh.
Recommendations of the Social Action Committee to the Election Commission:
1. Ensure an environment in which all citizens across the country can exercise their voting rights freely, independently, and without obstruction. Special measures must be taken to ensure the safety of women, minority communities, and marginalized men and women before, during, and after the election.
2. Enforce strict laws and strengthen monitoring mechanisms to prevent harassment, hate speech, and violence against women on social media and all digital platforms.
3. Reduce excessive election expenditures by setting a minimum spending limit and strictly monitor compliance.
4. Take special measures to ensure the security of women candidates, including independent women candidates.
5. Establish polling centers in convenient locations to ensure that women, elderly persons, persons with disabilities, and indigenous communities can exercise their voting rights.
6. Provide neutral support to ensure an inclusive and participatory election with spontaneous participation of all citizens regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, or community, and ensure accountability in this process.
7. Completely prohibit the use of religion in election campaigning.
8. Take effective measures to ensure the safety of all citizens.
9. Adopt strict measures to prevent all forms of political violence, communal violence, and violence against women.
10. Take legal action against individuals who threaten religious minority communities and people of differing political ideologies during election campaigns. Implement special security measures to maintain law and order in high-risk areas.
Statements from the Press Conference:
Moderator Dr. Fauzia Moslem stated that the memorandum previously submitted to the Election Commission regarding the 13th National Parliamentary Election was being presented at the press conference. She further noted that various efforts are ongoing to restore democratic practices in the country centered around the national election.
As part of this effort, the Social Action Committee had urged political parties to increase the number of women candidates. However, it was observed that only 4.08% of candidates nominated in this election are women, which is far from satisfactory. She mentioned that the committee had earlier proposed measures to increase voting access for persons with disabilities, which the Election Commission has taken into consideration—an initiative the committee views as a positive step.
Question and Answer Session:
During the Q&A session, responses were provided by Dr. Fauzia Moslem, Mariam Nesha of ActionAid Bangladesh, and Shashwati Biplob of BRAC. They stated that the number of women candidates in the upcoming election is unacceptable. They identified several factors influencing the nomination process, including flaws in the electoral system, political parties’ attitudes toward women, muscle power, and the influence of money.
They emphasized the need for a change in political culture, noting that while political parties had pledged to nominate women in at least 5% of seats, the actual number is even lower. They suggested that the Election Commission could have taken steps to ensure accountability among political parties.
Representatives from YWCA of Bangladesh, ADAB, BRAC, ActionAid Bangladesh, Bangladesh Nari Pragati Sangha, Bangladesh Trade Union Centre, IED, Pragrasar, Steps Towards Development, Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’ Association, Kormojibi Nari, World Vision, Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE), along with leaders, secretaries, and officials of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, were present at the press conference.
The press conference was conducted by Jana Goswami, Director of Advocacy and Networking at Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP).
