After much drama, EC is forced to allocate ‘Shapla’ symbol to NCP

Staff Correspondent

The National Citizens Party (NCP) is going to get its desired election symbol ‘Shapla’, according to Election Commission (EC) sources. Although the ‘Shapla’ symbol is missing from the EC’s recent gazette, initiatives have been taken to allocate the symbol in response to the NCP’s application.

Several political parties, including BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, have expressed their no-objection to the EC regarding the NCP’s demand for the Shapla symbol. A senior BNP leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “We have no objection if the NCP is given the Shapla symbol.”

NCP leaders have been consistently appealing to the EC for the Shapla symbol, citing it as part of their political and cultural identity.

“Shapla is deeply associated with our party. It is not just a symbol, but a symbol of our relationship with the people,” said Javed Rasin, the party’s joint convener.

Nagorik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna said that after the controversy over NCP’s demand for the Shapla symbol, he has decided that he will not take any legal action if the EC allocates this symbol.

It is worth noting that Nagorik Oikya also wanted the Shapla symbol, but the EC allotted them the ‘ketli’ symbol. On September 30, the EC registered the NCP and Bangladesh National League as political parties. Since the registration, the NCP has been regularly applying for the Shapla symbol.