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Published : 14 Dec 2016, 01:56 AM
Abdul Mobarak spoke to bdnews24.com on the matter on Tuesday after the Supreme Court’s full court meeting on Monday decided not to let any political party use its monogram ‘weighing scale’, the symbol of justice, as electoral symbol.
The High Court Division’s Additional Registrar Sabbir Faiz said a letter would be sent to the Election Commission on Wednesday.
Radical outfit Jamaat-e-Islami, which opposed Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan, had been using the image of the 'weighing scale' as its polls logo.
The party also obtained EC registration with the 'weighing scale' as its election symbol on Nov 4, 2008.
It later lost its registration following a High Court order for having a charter contradicting the Constitution of Bangladesh.
The EC website still has the Jamaat on the list of registered political parties, with the 'weighing scale' as its symbol.
It is, however, mentioned in its Comments box that the Jamaat had lost its registration.
The symbol ‘weighing scale’ is numbered 32 on the list of 65 symbols, including 40 for already registered political parties, reserved for parliamentary polls candidates in election rules. The remaining 25 symbols are for new registered political parties or independent candidates.
“Neither the political parties nor any independent candidate will get this symbol. So it will have to be expunged from the list of symbols in the election rules,” Election Commissioner Mobarak said.
But the commission needs to take the decision in a meeting after getting the Supreme Court letter. “Because no-one should be allotted ‘weighing scale’ symbol,” he added.
The election commissioner also said there is a chance that any new political party or an independent candidate can apply for the symbol.
“That’s why it has to be dropped. There will be no scope for anyone to get it once it is removed from the list of reserved symbols in the electoral rules,” he said.
About the symbol retained as Jamaat’s one on the EC website until now, EC Secretary Mohammad Abdullah said steps will be taken after getting the Supreme Court letter.
He said the related laws will not have to be changed to drop the symbol from the list. “Only the commission’s decision is enough to gazette it,” he added.
