'Boat' symbol to remain on EC's official list, but cannot be used: EC Secretary

The Election Commission (EC) has clarified that the 'Boat' symbol—traditionally associated with the Awami League—will remain in the EC's official list of election symbols, but cannot be used by any party or candidate as long as the party's registration remains suspended.

EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed made the statement on Wednesday (July 16) following an informal meeting at the EC Bhaban in Agargaon.

He explained that although the symbol remains valid in the list, it has been temporarily removed from the EC's supplementary platform website to prevent public confusion.

"There is no external pressure on the Election Commission. The commission independently decided to remove the symbol from the website display to avoid misunderstanding," he told reporters.

The Awami League's registration was suspended on May 12, and on Wednesday morning, its registration details, including the symbol and symbol name, were removed from the EC's online platform.

Addressing the matter, Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Machud earlier stated, "Symbols are never banned. Even if a party is dissolved, its symbol remains in the list and can be allocated to another party or candidate in the future. That’s why the 'Boat' is not being excluded permanently."

Meanwhile, the EC Secretary also confirmed that Jamaat-e-Islami's name and symbol have been reinstated on the EC website following the return of its registration. However, the Shapla (water lily) symbol has not yet been added to the symbol list.