Staff Reporter:
Mosammat Taslima Khanom, wife of late BNP leader and freedom fighter Rafiqul Islam Miron Sikder, has officially submitted her nomination paper seeking a reserved women’s seat in the National Parliament.
She collected the nomination form from the BNP party office on April 12 and later completed the submission process. Her late husband, Rafiqul Islam Miron Sikder, was a former vice president of Jhalakathi District BNP and served as president of Kathalia Upazila BNP for around 25 years.
Throughout his political career, Taslima Khanom remained an active supporter, contributing significantly to party activities. However, she refrained from taking any official party position to avoid controversy while her husband held leadership roles.Miron Sikder had sought BNP nomination during the 9th National Parliamentary Election in 2008 and also contested the 2014 Upazila Parishad election with party backing. During these campaigns, Taslima Khanom played a leading role in organizing and mobilizing support on the ground. Despite strong public backing, party sources claim his expected victory was undermined by irregularities.
Following the death of Miron Sikder in 2022, Taslima Khanom faced a period of personal hardship but later returned to political activities. She was actively involved in campaigning during the 2026 national election, working to support BNP candidate Rafiqul Islam Jamal in Jhalakathi-1 constituency.Taslima Khanom comes from a notable family. She is the mother of Deputy Police Commissioner Mofizul Islam of Dhaka’s Lalbagh Division and the aunt of agriculturist Dr. Hachib Mohammad Tushar, Director of the Office of International Student Affairs at Patuakhali Science and Technology University.
As a candidate for the reserved women’s seat, she has expressed her commitment to public service, focusing on women’s empowerment, combating terrorism and corruption, and protecting youth from drug abuse. She also aims to contribute to infrastructure development in her constituency in coordination with local leadership.Taslima Khanom has sought prayers and support from the people for her political journey, expressing hope that the BNP will consider her long-standing contributions and her late husband’s sacrifices in its nomination decision.
