Photo : Collected

DHAKA, Oct 14, 2025 (BSS) - Election Commission (EC) Secretariat Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed today said the National Citizen Party (NCP) wanted ‘Shapla (water lily)’ as its election symbol but the EC could not allocate it as it is not in the list.  

“The NCP has been asked to select a symbol from the EC’s list and inform it by October 19 . . . If it is not informed within this stipulated timeframe, the EC will allocate a symbol to the party through its own method,” he said while talking to reporters in front of the EC office at the Agargaon Election Building here today.

Replying to a query of journalist, he said, “The EC’s position on the ‘Shapla Symbol’ is the same. Since it is not included in the EC's list of approved symbols, there is no scope to allocate it.”

On the allocation of electoral symbol, the EC secretary added: “We wrote to the NCP to inform us of the alternative symbol what they want by the October 19. If it is not informed by October 19, then the EC will take a decision in this connection.”

About the registration of political parties, Akhtar Ahmed said the information of 12 more political parties are being re-verified with appointing more people at the field-levels. 

 “Next week the EC will finalize the list of parties which will get registration,” he mentioned.

Referring to the discussions with different stakeholders about polls preparations, the EC secretary said the commission is holding a series of discussion with the stakeholders at various levels.

“On October 20, all the organizations involved in law enforcement activities such as the army, air force and navy and others have been invited to the EC secretariat for discussions,” he added.

About expatriate voters, the EC secretary hoped that the EC can inaugurate the app development work in this regard from the last week of October to the first week of November.

“We have already completed several stages of preparations. Some more preparations are underway . . . Preparation is an ongoing process, and the preparations for another election (local government level) will also be held,” he added.