NCP firm on getting ‘Shapla’ as polls symbol

National Citizen Party leaders yesterday said they want the "Shapla" (water lily) as the party's electoral symbol, with no alternative.

They also demanded the removal of "Boat" symbol from the list of electoral symbols and vowed that they would fight politically if they did not get "Shapla" as their party's symbol.

The NCP also asked for the reconstitution of the current Election Commission when its five-member delegation met Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasiruddin at the EC headquarters.

The five are NCP Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari, Chief Organiser (south) Hasnat Abdullah, Chief Organiser (north) Sarjis Alam, Joint Member Secretary Zahirul Islam Musa, and Joint Convener Khalid Saifullah.

Besides NCP, Nagarik Oikya earlier sought the "Shapla" as its electoral symbol in place of its previous one, the kettle.

On July 9, the EC has decided not to include "Shapla" as an election symbol under the Election Conduct Rules.

As the "Shapla" is the national emblem of Bangladesh, the commission, led by the CEC, made the decision.

Speaking to reporters after yesterday's meeting, NCP leader Nasiruddin said, "We have no alternative to the shapla. We have seen there is no legal bar to getting this symbol. If it is denied, we will fight politically.

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EC rules out 'Shapla' as election symbol

"The EC must be reconstituted before the polls, and the law under which it was formed needs to be amended."

He added that the current commission could keep those election officials who demonstrated competence in the past.

Ahead of the upcoming election, the EC has already increased the number of electoral symbols from the current 69 to at least 115 for registered parties and independent candidates.

The EC started reserving electoral symbols for registered political parties when the party registration system was introduced in 2008.

On May 13, the government issued a gazette prohibiting all activities of the Awami League, along with its affiliated and associate bodies, until trials at the International Crimes Tribunal ended.

The same day, the EC suspended its registration as a political party.

Demanding the exclusion of the "Boat" from EC's electoral symbol list, Zahirul Islam, another member of NCP delegation, said, "As per the Election Commission's decision, the registration of the Awami League is currently suspended. Yet, the "Boat" symbol remains on the list. We raised this issue with the commission, and it should be excluded."

The NCP submitted its application to the EC for registration on June 22.

Zahirul added that the EC updated them on the process of registration and expatriates' voting.

Contacted, Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud said that despite AL's suspended registration, the "Boat" symbol will remain on the list of election symbols.

"Even if a party is dissolved, its symbol is preserved as the EC is the custodian," he said, adding that the "Boat" belongs to the commission, not any party, and won't be cancelled if the party ceases to exist.