The Election Commission is poised to approve the registration of three new political parties, which include the National Citizen Party, established by figures involved in the July uprising. Alongside, the Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist) and Bangladesh Aam Janagan Party are also set to receive registration.
There has been a prolonged discussion regarding the symbol for the NCP, and the Election Commission has now assigned the “water lily bud” (shapla koli) as the party’s symbol. The Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist) will be represented by the “scissors” symbol, while the Bangladesh Aam Janagan Party has been allocated the “handshake” symbol.
In three notifications released recently, the Election Commission specified that any objections should be submitted in writing, along with necessary documentation, to the EC secretary by November 12.
The NCP submitted its registration application on June 22, initially proposing three symbols: “shapla” (water lily), “kalam” (pen), and “mobile phone”. Subsequently, in letters dated August 3 and September 24, the NCP modified its preferences, indicating a preference for a white or red water lily.
Following this, on September 30, the EC requested the NCP to select one symbol from the approved list of 115 symbols and submit its choice by October 7. The deadline was later extended to October 19, after which the NCP sought clarification from the EC regarding the criteria for including or excluding symbols from the list.
In an earlier decision on July 9, the EC had ruled out the water lily as an electoral symbol under the Election Conduct Rules. The NCP contested this decision, arguing that the rationale provided by the commission was not legally sound and lacked a legal basis for refusal.
On October 30, the EC added the water lily bud to its reserve list of electoral symbols for political parties and independent candidates. EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed clarified that this addition was not in response to any party’s request, emphasizing the distinction between “water lily” and “water lily bud”.
Subsequently, on November 2, the NCP agreed to adopt “water lily bud” as its electoral symbol following discussions with the chief election commissioner.