The Election Commission (EC) has added 46 new symbols to its existing list of 69, bringing the total to 115 in the current electoral schedule. However, the 'Shapla' (water lily) symbol has been excluded from the final list, meaning no political party will be allowed to use it as its electoral symbol.
Leaders of the National Citizen Party (NCP) have condemned the decision, calling it biased and farcical. They have rejected the EC’s move and signaled their intention to challenge it both politically and legally.
According to EC officials, a committee initially shortlisted 150 symbols to be added to the official list. The Commission later trimmed the number to 115 and sent the revised list to the Ministry of Law for vetting. The 'Shapla' symbol was not included in the final version.
On June 20, the NCP applied for party registration with the EC, listing 'Shapla' as its first choice for an electoral symbol. The party also mentioned 'Pen' and 'Mobile Phone' as alternative options. Both of these are included in the newly approved list, meaning the NCP may be allotted either the mobile phone or pen symbol.
NCP leaders said their campaign, titled “A New Bangladesh In Your Eyes,” had garnered the most public support for three symbols—Shapla, Mobile Phone, and Pen. They argued that these choices reflect the aspirations of the people and that public demand guided their selection. The party alleges that by excluding 'Shapla', the EC is displaying clear favoritism.
When asked about the exclusion of 'Shapla' from the symbol list, NCP Joint Convener Monira Sharmin told Jago News:
“We want to understand. The explanation provided by the Election Commission is not satisfactory. We demand a clear and specific justification for why 'Shapla' cannot be used as a party symbol. The EC has given only vague and conventional responses. They cite that it is a national symbol, but Shapla is not officially designated as one. The EC is already acting in a biased manner.”
NCP is scheduled to meet Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin on Sunday to discuss the issue. The CEC’s personal secretary, Mohammad Ashraful Alam, confirmed that the party has been given an appointment at 10:30 am regarding their request.
On July 9, the EC finalized the list of 115 symbols as part of its amendment to the National Parliamentary Election Conduct Rules. The list was sent to the Ministry of Law for vetting the same day, with the 'Shapla' symbol notably excluded.
Earlier, on June 22, NCP formally applied for registration and requested the 'Shapla' symbol. Prior to that, on April 17, another political group—Nagorik Oikya, led by Mahmudur Rahman—had also applied for the same symbol. Both parties have held multiple meetings with the EC about the allocation.