Women leaders want direct vote in reserved seats

Besides increasing the reserved seats for women, the women leaders wanted direct elections. This is what came out in an exchange of views with senior television journalists at the election building in Agargaon on Saturday.

After the meeting, Vice President of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad Rekha Chowdhury said that we have agreed to increase the number of reserved seats for women to 150. Journalist Ayesha Kabir said that women should be given rights, roles and opportunities in elections. I have asked to arrange training for not only women but also men as candidates and voters.

Trinamool women leader and former vice chairman of Comilla's Manohardi Upazila Afroja Kusum said, 'We want direct elections to the parliament. What is the need to preserve? Those who are reserved are not getting that much work. And those who are upazila vice chairman have not got any signing. We cannot respond to people as we do not have signing powers. In that case it is better not to have this post.'

After the meeting Dr. Badiul Alam Majumder said that there was a discussion about the safety of women in the election. They proposed to make it mandatory to have 33 percent women in the committees of all levels of political parties, reduce the cost of elections and ensure participation of women, increase the number of seats reserved for women in Parliament to 100 or 150.