The Nationalist Citizens` Party (NCP) has strongly reiterated that it will accept no alternative to the ‘Shapla’ (Water Lily) as its electoral symbol.
Party Chief Coordinator Nasir Uddin Patwari stated that the party faces no legal barriers to using the symbol and warned of a political fight if any attempt is made to obstruct them.
Patwari made the remarks on Sunday (July 13) following a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) at his office.
A five-member NCP delegation—including Hasnat Abdullah, chief organizer for the southern region, and Sarjis Alam, chief organizer for the northern region—attended the discussion.
“There’s no alternative to ‘Shapla’ for us. We’ve seen that, legally, we have the right to it. If anyone tries to stop us, we will resist politically,” said Patwari.
During the meeting, Patwari also demanded the reformation of the Election Commission (EC) before the upcoming elections.
He criticized the current EC formation process and called for amending the relevant laws, suggesting that only competent members should be retained under the National Consensus Commission’s proposed system.
NCP`s Joint Secretary Zahirul Islam Musa raised concerns about the ‘Boat’ symbol, historically associated with the Awami League.
Musa pointed out that, despite the suspension of Awami League’s registration, the ‘Boat’ symbol still appears on the EC’s official list.
“We have informed the commission that this symbol must be removed from the list as per the law,” Musa said, adding that the EC has assured them of reviewing the matter.
The delegation also followed up on a 43,316-page petition submitted earlier to the EC. According to Musa, the commission updated them on the progress made in reviewing the document.
The NCP also discussed voting mechanisms for expatriates, seeking updates on the three proposed methods for enabling Bangladeshis abroad to vote in future elections. The commission reportedly briefed them on developments regarding this issue.
The meeting reflects NCP`s ongoing efforts to solidify its political stance ahead of the next national elections and assert its rights amidst a shifting electoral landscape.
