RPO amendment: Parties in alliances must still contest under their own symbols

Even if a registered political party under the Election Commission (EC) contests an election as part of an alliance, it must still use its own electoral symbol, according to the newly issued Representation of the People Order (RPO) 2025.

The Law Ministry issued a gazette notification on the ordinance on November 3. The amendment brings several key changes to the RPO ahead of the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election.

The Advisory Council had given its policy approval for the draft amendment on October 23. However, amid political debates over the timing of the referendum and the implementation of the July Charter, divisions emerged among parties regarding the RPO amendment—particularly Article 20, which deals with alliance symbols.

While the BNP opposed the amendment, demanding that alliance candidates be allowed to use a common symbol, Jamaat-e-Islami and the NCP supported retaining the change. The 12-party alliance also objected to the provision, submitting a formal letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A M M Nasir Uddin on November 3, signed by Ahsan Habib Linkon, Secretary-General of the Jatiya Party (Kazi Zafar) on behalf of the alliance.

The alliance, which includes the Liberal Democratic Party, Jatiya Dal Bangladesh Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, Islami Oikya Jote, Bangladesh Labour Party, Bangladesh Kalyan Party, Naya Ganatantrik Party, Islamic Party, Progressive Nationalist Party, and the United Liberal Party, termed the amendment “unacceptable.”

In their letter, they wrote that forcing alliance partners to use their own party symbols undermines democratic practice. They argued that, historically, coalition partners have contested under a shared symbol — a practice that had never caused problems or controversy in past elections.

They further noted that the government had earlier assured the alliance, including BNP, that no change would be made to Article 20, making the sudden reversal “unexpected and unjustified.”

The letter emphasised that political coalitions exist primarily to maximise electoral success, and therefore, partners must retain the right to choose symbols based on strategy. Making such a significant decision without formal consultations with key political stakeholders, they argued, was “undesirable and unacceptable.”

The BNP had also sent a similar letter to the CEC and the Law Adviser, while NCP and Jamaat submitted counter letters supporting the amendment and urging the government to keep it unchanged.

At an emergency meeting on November 3, chaired by Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus, the Advisory Council discussed the controversy. According to two council members who spoke on condition of anonymity, the advisers were divided—some wanted to revise the RPO again to reflect party objections, while others warned that another amendment could create further confusion.

Previously, on October 23, the Advisory Council had approved the amendment allowing alliance candidates to contest under their own party symbols instead of a common one. The change was based on recommendations by the Election System Reform Commission, which argued that unified symbols for coalitions could distort the electoral process.