NCP rejects ‘Shapla Koli’, demands ‘Shapla’ symbol

Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) has firmly rejected the Election Commission’s newly proposed ‘Shapla Koli’ (water lily bud) symbol, insisting on retaining the original ‘Shapla’ (water lily) for the upcoming election.

Addressing a seminar at party’s temporary office in Bangla Motor on Thursday evening, NCP Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary said the party remains uncompromising on the matter.

“The Election Commission has given us ‘Shapla Koli’ symbol in the new gazette. We fail to understand the rationale behind this decision. However, when it comes to the matter of ‘Shapla’, we remain steadfast,” he said.

The seminar, titled ‘Implementation of the July Charter and the Path to the National Election’, was organized by Jatiya Juboshakti, youth wing of the party.

The NCP has been pressing for ‘Shapla’ symbol since its registration, but the Election Commission had previously stated that it could not allocate it as it was not part of the approved list of 115 symbols.

The new gazette, signed by EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed and published Thursday, included ‘Shapla Koli’ instead, along with other revisions to the list of electoral symbols for registered parties and independent candidates.

Reacting to the announcement, Patwary emphasized that the party would not accept ‘Shapla Koli’ under any circumstances and called on the Commission to issue a new gazette incorporating the original ‘Shapla’.

“We want to participate in the election peacefully, but if needed, we will launch a democratic movement at the EC office to secure it,” he added.

Senior Joint Convener Samantha Sharmin criticized the Commission’s decision as discriminatory.

“Without any legal reason, the Commission gazetted ‘Shapla Koli’ for us, as if we were a party of children. This undermines smaller parties in the same way major parties dominate the political space,” she said.

Jatiya Juboshakti Convener Tariqul Islam also condemned the EC’s approach, describing it as “feudal” and asserting that only original ‘Shapla’ would represent NCP.

Formed last year by student and youth leaders who led movements against previous Awami League government, NCP recently became eligible for registration following an EC review and has since demanded ‘Shapla’ as its official electoral symbol.

Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin and other officials had indicated that the symbol could not be allocated, leaving the party dissatisfied with the latest decision.