EC receives documents from 43 parties as registration deadline ends

The deadline for fulfilling registration conditions set by the Election Commission (EC) expired at 5:00 PM on Sunday, with only 43 political parties, including the National Citizen Party (NCP), submitting the required documents.

A total of 144 political parties had initially applied for registration through 147 submissions by June 22. However, none of the applications met the EC’s criteria during the preliminary screening. Subsequently, the Commission granted a 15-day extension to allow the parties to address the deficiencies. That extended deadline has now passed.

According to EC sources, under the current legal framework, parties seeking registration must have a central committee, committees in at least one-third of the country’s districts, and in 100 upazilas (sub-districts). Additionally, each committee must demonstrate the support of at least 200 voters.

A party may also qualify for registration if it previously had representation in Parliament or secured at least 5 percent of the total vote in a national election.

Beyond these core criteria, several administrative and procedural requirements must also be met. These form the basis of the EC’s initial screening process.

Following the submission of applications, the Commission will conduct on-site verification of party information. Once this is complete, a public notice will be issued inviting claims and objections. If objections are raised, hearings will be held to resolve them. In the absence of any objections—or after resolution—the EC will issue registration certificates to eligible parties.

Without official registration, no political party is permitted to contest elections using its own electoral symbol.