SAJJAD HOSSAIN

A section of BNP’s women leaders is unhappy that the party has opened the door to outsiders and little-known figures in the race for women’s reserved seats in parliament.

They feared that long-serving loyalists, who stood by the party despite years of repression and political struggle, may be overlooked while importance is being given to outsiders who neither held party posts nor made any visible contribution in the last 17 years. Such a move has already demoralised leaders and activists across the country, they added.

According to party insiders, the BNP interviewed a number of outsiders over two days, including Meghna Alam, Farzana Sithi, Rukaiya Jahan Chamak and others.

Many of them are relatives of party leaders but do not hold any party post, sources said.

Seeking anonymously, an aspirant from Dhaka Mohila Dal unit of BNP said, “With the number of reserved seats so limited, even one or two nominations

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