The National Citizens Party (NCP) has reaffirmed its decision to contest the upcoming elections using the ‘Shapla’ (water lily) symbol, despite perceived reluctance from the Election Commission.
Party's chief organiser for the northern region Sarjis Alam criticised what he described as arbitrary behaviour by the Commission, saying there is no legal barrier to allocating the symbol.
Sarjis Alam was speaking at a coordination meeting of the party’s Mymensingh district unit on Tuesday evening (October 14), held at the Tareque Memorial Auditorium.
He said, “From the Election Commission Secretary’s remarks, it appears the issue of whether there is a legal ground to deny the Shapla symbol is irrelevant to them. Whether they give it or not depends entirely on their whim. But this kind of discretionary behaviour from a constitutional body, particularly in post-uprising Bangladesh, is unacceptable. We won’t tolerate this. Since there is no legal obstacle, the Commission must allocate the Shapla symbol to NCP.”
He added that NCP would not accept any decision rooted in personal preference. “We are entering the upcoming election with the Shapla symbol, and that is final,” Alam declared.
Sarjis Alam projected that the NCP would emerge as a decisive force in the next parliament. “We aim for a stable and balanced legislature. NCP will commit fully to continuing reforms and justice initiatives even after the elections,” he said. He also emphasised youth empowerment as central to the party’s vision for a future Bangladesh, pledging movements against corruption in education, healthcare, and other sectors.
Referring to the implementation of the "July Charter" and democratic reforms, he stated that NCP seeks to become one of the most influential political forces in a democratic electoral process following visible judicial reforms.
Commenting on potential alliances, Sarjis Alam said, “The most significant political event since 1971 was the 2024 uprising. NCP was born from the leadership of that movement. We do not believe in bargaining over a few parliamentary seats. However, if any political party — single or in a group — shows genuine commitment to change in line with the people’s aspirations, and if we share a common vision for Bangladesh, only then will we consider forming an electoral alliance.”
He reiterated that regardless of alliance considerations, the NCP would contest under the Shapla symbol.
Addressing the issue of electoral systems, Sarjis Alam clarified NCP's stance on proportional representation (PR). “We support the introduction of the PR system in the upper house of a bicameral parliament, but not in the lower house. If Bangladesh transitions to a bicameral system, we believe a field-level analysis should assess whether the PR system aligns with our political context. Only then should the matter be discussed in terms of timing and rationale. Our position is clear.”
The meeting was presided over by Advocate Javed Rasin, Chief Coordinator of the NCP’s Mymensingh district branch. Among other speakers were Divisional Organising Secretary Ashikin Alam and Northern Region leader Abul Bashar.
SMS/
