Bobby Hajjaj’s party NDM gets EC registration

Bobby Hajjaj’s newly launched political party National Democratic Movement or NDM is now registered with the Election Commission.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 1 Feb 2019, 05:40 PM
Updated : 1 Feb 2019, 05:40 PM

The party had sought registration before the parliamentary elections, but failed to get as it could not meet the conditions set by the commission.

“But the party received registration in line with the court directive. Recently, the commission got the court orders," said EC Deputy Secretary Abdul Halim Khan.

The EC has published a gazette on the NDM’s registration and allocated it the 'lion' polls logo.

"Our party has got the registration as per the court’s directive. We have also received a notice regarding this. The NDM’s registration number is 43," said Chairman Hajjaj.

Now he says he will contest in the upcoming Dhaka North City Corporation polls.

Bobby Hajjaj, the eldest son of controversial businessman Musa Bin Shamser, came to politics in 2013 by joining the Jatiya Party's research and strategy wing.

Earlier, he taught at a private university for some time.

Before the 10th parliamentary elections, Bobby Hajjaj appeared as a spokesman for the Jatiya Party when Ershad ‘mysteriously’ fell ill and was admitted to the Combined Military Hospital. After a few days, he went to the UK.

Ershad removed Hajjaj as his special adviser after Hajjaj announced his candidacy for the Dhaka city election in 2015 even after the party had officially fielded a candidate.

Ahead of the Dec 30 parliamentary elections, Bobby Hajjaj floated the NDM in 2017. As his party failed to get registration from the EC before the election, he contested the election from the seat with the lantern symbol of the Muslim League.

Hajjaj has submitted his nomination for the by-election to Dhaka North City Corporation slated for Feb 28.

Since 2008 when the EC introduced registration system for the new political parties, a total of 43 political parties have registered.

The commission revoked registration of the Freedom Party in 2009 before the 9th parliamentary election and that of Jamaat-e-Islami in 2013 before the 10th parliamentary elections.

In October last year, the Election Commission rejected the registration of Oikyabadda Nagorik Andolan as it failed to submit the necessary documents before the announcement of the 11th parliamentary election schedule.

Now, the country has 40 registered political parties.