Reserved Seats and Women's Representation in Bangladesh Parliament: Gaps between Expectation and Reality

Abstract

To encourage women in national politics, the Constitution of Bangladesh (1972) provided 15 reserved seats for women for 10 years which was later extended for several times alone with increasing number. The latest extended tenure was made in 2004 and it is going to be finished in 2019 unless the present parliament or next parliament before 29th January 2019 further extended it. After the 15th Amendment in 2011, there are 50 reserved seats for women in Bangladesh. As 49.46% of the voters of Bangladesh are women, the political parties may use the issue of extending tenure of reserved seats targeting the next election. Thus this paper begins stating the evolution of reserved seats in Bangladesh Parliament, Constitutional stand relating to it, philosophy of the Constitution makers for keeping this system, judicial response to this system and then analyses whether this reserved seats system actually ensures women's representation in the parliament or not, problems create impediment for women to join and continue politics, reasons for their less representation in the Parliament. Finally, this write-up suggests an alternative way of appointment procedure of reserved seats that can really increase women's quantitative as well as qualitative representation in the Parliament.