NCP to announce candidates for all 300 constituencies under 'Shapla Koli' symbol within this month
"The final candidate list will be prepared within this month,” Nahid says
The National Citizen Party (NCP) has announced it will field candidates in all 300 constituencies for the upcoming 13th national parliamentary election.
In a video message to the media this evening (4 November), the party's Convener Nahid Islam stated, "After long efforts, we are now formally a registered political party. We will contest all 300 seats under the Shapla Koli symbol."
He added, "The final candidate list will be prepared within this month."
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Nahid further said, "The party began its registration process in March, submitted all documents by June, and received official registration after field verification by the Election Commission.
"The party received unprecedented public support during the party's July march programmes and has now built an organisational structure across the country."
Calling for new leadership, Nahid urged young and emerging political activists to join the party, saying, "Those who want to enter politics afresh and provide honest, patriotic leadership should connect with us."
He expressed confidence that the party's growing public support will be reflected in the upcoming election.
Earlier in the day, the Election Commission allocated the electoral symbol "Shapla Koli" (water lily bud) to the NCP.
After months of debates surrounding the "Shapla" (water lily) symbol, the NCP on 2 November finally announced that it was ready to accept "Shapla Koli" in the greater interest of the party.
Following a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin at the EC headquarters in Nirbachan Bhaban, the party's Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary told reporters, "Today we applied for the Shapla, White Shapla, and Shapla Koli symbols. In the greater interest, we will accept the Shapla Koli as our election symbol."
The NCP formally submitted its application for the symbol to the commission that day.
Hours earlier, NCP Convener Nahid Islam said at a press conference, "The decision regarding the Shapla could have been made a month ago. We want the Shapla."
He also alleged that the EC was creating obstacles for the new party instead of cooperating.
The party had been pressing for the "Shapla" symbol since last year, but the commission said it could not allocate it since it was not listed among the approved symbols.
In a new gazette published on 30 October, the EC included "Shapla Koli" in its updated list of electoral symbols.
As a protest, leaders of the NCP reaffirmed that they would not compromise on their demand for the "Shapla" as their electoral symbol, rejecting the commission's proposal to allocate "Shapla Koli" (water lily bud) instead.
Meanwhile, today, Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman said the party's final list of parliamentary election candidates will be announced "at the appropriate time."
Yesterday, the BNP announced a primary list of candidates for 237 constituencies following a meeting of the National Standing Committee at the BNP chairperson's office in the capital's Gulshan.
Among other notable candidates are Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Mahmud Hasan Khan for Chuadanga-2, former FBCCI president Abdul Awal Mintoo for Feni-3, and BNP leader Ishraque Hossain for Dhaka-6.
