As it seems, the race for securing Awami League tickets for election to the reserved seats is much more intense than it was in getting AL nominations to contest the national polls.

The number of aspirants seeking AL tickets in each reserved seat is nearly three times higher than that of the AL nomination seekers in a constituency during the last election.

A total of 1,549 nomination papers were sold against 48 seats, indicating that on an average, 32 women are competing for an AL ticket for a seat whereas an average 11 aspirants sought the party ticket in a seat ahead of the polls.

For the January 7 polls, the ruling party sold 3,362 nomination forms for 300 constituencies.

Speculations are rife over the potential nominees and the criteria under which AL President Sheikh Hasina would consider nominating.

Meanwhile, Hasina, also the prime minister, during a meeting with independent lawmakers on January 28, said descendants or spouses of veteran and devoted party leaders and some professionals who have contributed to the party would be considered for the reserved seat.

According to the Jatiya Sangsad (Reserved Women's Seats) Election Act, a party or coalition gets one reserved seat for securing every six seats.

As the AL won in 223 constituencies and the 62 independent MPs have given AL President Hasina the power to elect members of the reserved seats on their behalf, it means the AL can place 48 MPs in reserved seats, while Jatiya Party will have the other two.

The election to the 50 reserved seats is slated for March 14.

On the last day of the nomination paper sale yesterday, a good number of nomination seekers gathered at the AL headquarters in the capital's Gulistan to collect and submit nomination forms.

The number of nomination paper submission was higher than purchase as yesterday was the final day of sale and submission.

Among the aspirants there are leaders of different AL committees, celebrities, and wives of ministers, MPs, and lawyers.

According to sources of the party's central office, leaders of AL and its different associated bodies were the highest in number of nomination paper collection.

At least 15 celebrities who collected the nomination forms are Lucky Enam, Suborna Mustafa, Tarin Jahan, Apu Biswas, Nipun Akhter, Shimla, Shahnoor, Tanvin Sweety, Meher Afroz Shaon, Shomi Kaiser, Rokeya Prachi, Sohana Saba, Urmila Srabanti Kar, Mahiya Mahi, and Shamima Tusty, the sources added.

The AL started selling nomination forms on Tuesday and the party earned Tk 7.74 crore from the nomination paper sale.

Party sources said the AL Parliamentary Nomination Board will hold a meeting on February 14 to finalise the party's nominees.

The AL won by a landslide in the January 7 national election that was boycotted by BNP and its like-minded parties demanding the polls be held under a non-partisan administration.