In at least nine constituencies of the 13th national parliamentary elections, the BNP’s electoral symbol, the Sheaf of Paddy, will not appear on the ballot papers. This has occurred due to political seat-sharing arrangements in some constituencies and legal complications in others.
Party sources said the BNP has given up eight constituencies under seat-sharing agreements with its long-time allies in the simultaneous movement. As a result, the party has no candidates in those constituencies, and the Sheaf of Paddy symbol will be absent from the ballot papers.
In addition, there is one more constituency where a BNP candidate’s nomination has been finally cancelled following a court verdict.
The BNP has ceded a total of eight seats to five allied parties in the 300-seat parliament. Of these, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh has received the highest number—four seats. The remaining four seats have been shared among Ganosamhati Andolon, the Revolutionary Workers Party, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), and Gono Odhikar Parishad. Candidates from these parties are contesting the elections in those constituencies using their respective party symbols.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh is contesting four seats with the Date Palm Tree symbol. Party president Maulana Mohammad Ubaidullah Faruk is contesting in Sylhet-5, vice-president Maulana Junaid Al Habib in Brahmanbaria-2, secretary general Maulana Manjurul Islam Afandi in Nilphamari-1, and central leader Mufti Monir Hossain Qasemi in Narayanganj-4.
Meanwhile, Zonayed Saki of Ganosamhati Andolon is contesting in Brahmanbaria-6 with the ‘Mathal’ (peasants’ straw hat) symbol. In Dhaka-12, Saiful Haque, general secretary of the Revolutionary Workers Party, is contesting with the Spade symbol.
In Patuakhali-3, Nurul Haque Nur, president of Gono Odhikar Parishad, is contesting with the Truck symbol. Andaleeve Rahman Partho, chairman of Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), is contesting in Bhola-1 with the Bullock Cart symbol.
Apart from these eight constituencies, the Sheaf of Paddy symbol has been excluded from the ballot in Cumilla-4 for an entirely different reason. The court has finally cancelled the nomination of BNP-nominated candidate Manjurul Ahsan Munshi over allegations of loan default, leaving the party without any candidate in the constituency.
As a result, the BNP’s traditional electoral symbol will be absent from the ballot papers in a total of nine constituencies in the upcoming elections. However, despite the absence of the symbol, BNP rebel candidates are contesting as independents in some of these constituencies. The party has already expelled those candidates.