Dhaka, July 13 (V7N) — Despite the suspension of the Awami League’s registration and restrictions on its political activities, the boat (Nouka) symbol will remain in the Election Commission’s list of official electoral symbols—for now. Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Machud clarified the EC’s stance on Sunday afternoon during a media briefing.

“The registration of a party may be suspended, but the symbol is reserved and allocated by the EC, not the party itself,” said Commissioner Machud. “Unless a final decision is made regarding the party’s future, there is no scope to remove the boat symbol from the EC’s official list.”

The boat symbol, historically associated with the Awami League, remains a key part of Bangladesh’s electoral identity, particularly in rural constituencies.

NCP’s Bid for Shapla Symbol Rejected

In contrast, the Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP)'s push to obtain the Shapla (water lily) as its official symbol has been unsuccessful. Commissioner Machud explained that:

“Any political party can propose a symbol, but if that symbol is not included in the Election Commission’s official symbol schedule, it cannot be granted. Shapla is not currently listed, so we cannot include it.”

NCP Responds: Will Fight Politically

Earlier on Sunday, a five-member delegation from the NCP, led by Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari, met with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin to press their demand for the Shapla symbol and discuss other election-related issues. After the meeting, Patwari told reporters:

“We have no legal barrier to getting Shapla as our symbol. If it is denied unjustly, the NCP will fight politically.”

The delegation also proposed that the EC be reconstituted in line with the recommendations of the National Consensus Commission and urged the removal of the boat symbol from the official symbol list, given the Awami League’s suspended registration.

Background

The EC currently maintains a list of 69 electoral symbols, with plans to increase this to 115 ahead of the next national election. While parties can propose new symbols, the EC has the final authority to approve or reject them based on existing regulations.

With electoral tensions rising ahead of the 2025-26 polls, debates over symbols, party registration, and political neutrality of the EC are expected to remain contentious issues in the coming weeks.