‘Shapla not on EC's official list, can't be given to NCP'

The National Citizen Party (NCP) cannot be allocated "Shapla" (water lily) as its election symbol since it is not included in the Election Commission's official list of approved symbols, Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam said today.

Speaking to reporters after attending a training session at Sylhet Police Lines, Anwarul said, "According to the constitution and electoral laws, the 'shapla' symbol does not exist in the commission's approved list. Therefore, it cannot be assigned to any political party."

Responding to a question about the upcoming national election, he added there was "no reason or incident" that could delay the polls beyond February.

"The election will be held before Ramadan," he added.

Assuring a fair and peaceful election, Anwarul said, "There is no scope for a repeat of past irregularities. No controversial individual will be given responsibility in the upcoming election process."

He also emphasised that the EC will not tolerate any form of bias.

"Our sole objective is to conduct a free and credible election. All state institutions must perform their duties with coordination and mutual trust," he said.

Addressing members of the police force, the election commissioner said, "Given the current context of Bangladesh, no institution can claim to be completely spotless. Every sector carries the scars of the past. We must now work together to rebuild public trust and institutional coordination."