The National Citizen Party (NCP) has decided to respond politically — not legally — to the Election Commission’s (EC) decision denying the party its preferred election symbol, the Shapla (water lily).
Senior NCP leaders said the issue of the Shapla symbol is not just about an electoral mark but also about the party’s political rights and participation.
According to party sources, if the EC does not grant them the Shapla symbol, it will be seen as an attempt to weaken the party organizationally. The NCP plans to respond through political action. The party has already sought a formal explanation from the EC and announced that a program demanding the Shapla symbol will be launched next week.
On October 19, an NCP delegation met with Election Commission Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed to discuss the matter. The meeting was attended by Hasnat Abdullah, chief organizer for the southern region, Nasiruddin Patwari, chief coordinator, Khaled Saifullah, joint convener, and Zahirul Islam, joint member secretary.
During the hour-long meeting, discussions were centered solely on the Shapla symbol. Although the EC proposed an alternative symbol, the NCP remained firmly committed to retaining the Shapla.
The NCP has declared that it is ready to take to the streets and continue its movement until the party regains its Shapla symbol.