EC scraps 'Shapla' symbol, offers NCP 50 alternatives

The National Citizen Party (NCP) will no longer be able to use the shapla symbol. Instead, the Election Commission (EC) has sent the party a letter offering 50 alternatives, including bed, plate, brinjal and bucket, asking them to select one by October 7.

On Thursday (October 2), Deputy Secretary of the EC’s Election Assistance Branch, Md Rafiqul Islam, issued the letter to NCP convener Nahid Islam.

The EC stated that when applying for registration, the NCP initially requested the shapla, pen and mobile phone symbols. Later, they revised their request to include white and red shapla. However, as per the Representation of the People’s Order 2008, the shapla symbol is not listed among the approved options.

According to the rules, once a party is allocated a symbol, it remains reserved for them. If they seek a new one, it must be chosen from the authorised list.

The 50 proposed symbols include almirah, bed, ostrich, kite, cup and saucer, spectacles, building, brinjal, torchlight, computer, jug, ship, tube well, tiffin carrier, table, table clock, telephone, fridge, tabla, heron, rooster, pen, watermelon, flute, bottle gourd, pitcher, prawn, plate, bench, lychee, cradle, butterfly, balloon, football, flower tub, stool, bucket, banana, electric fan, mug, microphone, peacock, mobile phone, conch, sewing machine, sofa, suitcase, deer, duck and helicopter.

Officials said that although the parliamentary election regulations provide for 115 approved symbols, the shapla or any of its variants is not among them.