Bangladesh’s Election Commission is standing firm on its rules for political parties, telling the newly registered National Citizen Party (NCP) to choose its election symbol from an official list. The party has been pushing hard for the Shapla—also known as the water lily—but officials say that’s not an option right now.
In a press briefing in Dhaka on October 1, Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed explained the latest updates. He announced that the NCP and the Bangladesh National League both got the green light for registration as political parties. Out of 143 applications, the commission reviewed 22 in detail. Two made the cut, while 13 more are still under consideration.
Ahmed highlighted that the NCP hasn’t picked a symbol yet, even though it’s officially registered. “The symbols they want aren’t on our approved list,” he said. “We’ll send them a letter asking them to select one from the schedule. Once they respond, we’ll notify everyone of the final choice.” For the Bangladesh National League, though, their preferred symbol is all set and approved.
This comes after the NCP’s frustration boiled over last month. The party warned it could disrupt next year’s general elections if it doesn’t get the Shapla symbol. Chief organizer Sarjis Alam posted on social media, insisting, “There’s no legal reason we can’t use Shapla—it’s our symbol, end of story. If not, we’ll see what happens with the elections and who thinks they can grab power.”
Alam also slammed the Election Commission, pointing out that the NCP requested Shapla during its initial application. He questioned why it wasn’t added to the list of 115 approved election symbols. Ahmed fired back, making it clear: “Shapla isn’t in the reserved list, so we can’t assign it. Parties have to stick to what’s available.”
The Shapla symbol debate adds to the mounting political tension in Bangladesh ahead of the 2024 general elections. The country is still reeling from recent upheaval, where student leaders teamed up with Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus and other groups to oust the Awami League government under former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. With uncertainty growing, the Election Commission’s decisions could shape the path to the polls.
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