The Election Commission (EC) has asked the National Citizen Party (NCP) to choose an electoral symbol from a reserved list of 50 options.
In a letter issued on 30 September, EC Deputy Secretary Md Rafiqul Islam informed NCP convener Nahid Islam that the party must submit its choice in writing by 7 October.
Earlier, the NCP applied for registration, seeking water lily, pen, and mobile phone as its preferred symbols. The party later proposed red water lily (laal shapla) or white water lily (shada shapla).
However, the EC stated that under Rule 9(1) of the Election Conduct Rules, 2008, the water lily symbol is not on the approved list. The commission also reminded that, under the Representation of the People Order (RPO) and election rules, a party must be allotted one of the prescribed symbols for all its nominated candidates, and that symbol will remain reserved unless the party later requests another approved one.
On 24 September, the commission issued a gazette expanding the number of electoral symbols from 69 to 115 for registered parties and independent candidates in the upcoming 13th parliamentary election.
