Published : 23 Sep 2025, 10:07 PM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 01:50 PM
The National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Sarjis Alam has insisted that the party must be allocated the "Shapla" (water lily) as its election symbol for the upcoming national polls.
Otherwise, the student leader who emerged during the July Uprising, said: “We will see how the election goes.”
On Tuesday, the Election Commission (EC) gave final approval to the list of symbols for the upcoming parliamentary elections, but did not green light the use of the "Shapla" for the NCP.
EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said that even if the NCP is registered, they will not get the Shapla as their party symbol as it is not on the approved list of symbols.
"After getting registration, the party will have to ask for a new symbol. The symbol will have to be taken from the prescribed list."
Rejecting his statement, Sarjis wrote in a Facebook post at 3:12pm on Tuesday: "The Election Commission secretary said that the Shapla is not on the symbol list, so the NCP is not getting the Shapla symbol. This means that there is no legal obstacle, but rather that they are not able to give the Shapla symbol to the NCP because it is not in the list.
"When the NCP first applied for registration, it clearly stated that the NCP wanted the Shapla symbol. So, whose job was it to add the Shapla symbol to that list? Have they been watching the drama unfolding in the Election Commission all this time? Or have they been acting according to the orders of some other institution, party or agency while acting as an independent institution?"
The NCP leader continued, "All kinds of hypocrisy will be dealt with politically. Since there is no legal obstacle, the NCP's symbol has to be the Shapla. There is no other option."
"Otherwise, we will also 'see' how any election is held and who 'dreams of coming to power and stuffing themselves.’"
The EC secretary had presented the election watchdog’s position to the media at its headquarters earlier in the day.
The EC had sent a list of 115 symbols in the election rules to the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs for amendment. The government then approved the code of conduct and the list of symbols after vetting.
While talking to journalists at the Election Commission Bhaban, Akhtar said: "We do not have the Shapla symbol in the list of 115 approved symbols. According to the rules, political parties have to choose a symbol from the prescribed list.”
“They will have to choose a symbol from the pre-approved list."
He said, "The registration process of political parties is ongoing. The registration-related documents are still at the review stage. However, the coordination process regarding the symbol has already proceeded.
However, the NCP remains firm on its demand for the Shapla symbol, either in white or red.
Earlier on Monday, party Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary reiterated that the NCP would not back down on its demand for the symbol.
“We will not move away from our request for the Shapla, the white Shapla, or the red Shapla. There is an ongoing conspiracy to undermine our symbol, but we remain resolute,” he said.
“If this symbol is not granted, we know how to claim it,” he added.
EC Secretary Akhtar said that as the Shapla symbol is not available, they have asked the party to submit an alternative proposal.
He added that the EC will launch a series of dialogues with members of civil society, teachers, women leaders, journalists, political parties and election experts from Sept 28. The schedule for these discussions will be determined step by step, taking into account the Durga Puja and other holidays.
