Dhaka, April 10 -- The BNP central office in Naya Paltan has hummed with the vibrant presence and excitement of female leaders arriving to collect nomination forms for the reserved seats in parliament.

Aspiring candidates expressed their expectations on Friday that those who remained loyal during the more than 15-year struggle against the previous "fascist" government would be prioritised for the seats.

From the morning, a sharp turnout of female activists and their supporters was observed at the party headquarters.

Between 11am and 12pm alone, over 100 forms were sold as leaders queued to secure their papers.

Tariqul Islam Tenzing, the party's assistant office secretary, noted that more than 400 forms had been sold by 4pm.

The crowd...