17 women elected MPs in 10th JS

The 10th parliamentary polls see 17 women candidates elected, according to unofficial results of the election.
        The number is just one less than the historic high of the 2008 election, when 18 women were elected.
However, the current figure can still level the previous high if Mosammat Razia Begum of Jatiya Party (Manju) gets elected from Gaibandha - 1 that awaits re-election.  
Even without her, the contingent of female lawmakers in the parliament now stands at a record 67, since 50 seats have been reserved for women this time.
In 2008, there were only 45 reserved seats for women, and the number of female lawmakers altogether stood at 63 then.
The number of reserved seats for women was increased by five through an amendment to the constitution in 2011.
The least number of women to be elected for the parliament happened in the 1991 elections, when only four women came out victorious.
They included Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, and AL leaders Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury and Matia Chowdhury.
In the just concluded election, the number of female candidates contesting the polls was at an all-time low, with only 27 women vying for 28 seats. Sheikh Hasina was the only woman to have contested from two seats -- Rangpur-6 and Gopalganj -3, and won both.  
Until now, the 1996 parliamentary polls had the record low participation of women when 36 women contested.
But the recent number has plummeted beyond that as well.  
Jatiya Party senior presidium member Raushan Ershad was declared victor by default in Mymensingh - 4 constituency.
Only two other female candidates of Jatiya Party, including its senior presidium member Salma Islam, were elected. Salma defeated AL bigwig former state minister Abdul Mannan Khan.
The other is Nasrin Jahan Ratna from Barisal - 6.
Aside from Hasina, the women to be elected from AL included Mosammat Mahabub Ara Begum Gini from Gaibandha -2, Ismat Ara Sadek from Jessore - 6, Begum Munnujan Sufiyan from Khulna -3, Matia Chowdhury from Sherpur -2, Shagufta Yasmeen from Munshiganj -2, Sahara Khatun from Dhaka -18, Simin Hossain Rimi from Gazipur -4, Mamtaz Begum from Manikganj -2, Rebecca Momin from Netrokona -4, Meher Afroze from Gazipur -5, Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury from Faridpur - 2 and Dipu Moni from Chandpur - 3.
The only female lawmaker elected from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal was Shirin Akhter of Feni-2.