National Citizens Party (NCP) has finally agreed to accept ‘Water Lily Bud’ (Shapla Koli) instead of ‘Water Lily’ as its electoral symbol during its registration as a new political party.
"We’re taking Shapla Koli....But we’ve not yet received an explanation as to why Water Lily will not be given (to us)," said NCP Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary after a meeting between his party’s delegation and Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital on Sunday.
To accept Water Lily Bud as its symbol, NCP also submitted a letter before the Election Commission bringing change its desire symbols – Water Lily, White Water Lily and Red Water Lily-- by incorporating Water Lily Bud to replace Red Water Lily.
Noting that the EC has added several new symbols including Shapla Koli in the list of symbols, Patwary explained that now the order of NCP’s preference for symbols is – (First) Water-lily, (Second) White Water Lily (Second) and (Third) Water Lily Bud.
“They’ve received a positive response among the people about Water Lily in the overall situation of the country,” he said.
The NCP said they call on NCP leaders and activists as well as the people of Bangladesh, who want to be candidates in all three hundred constituencies, to prepare for the election.
He said the Water Lily Bud will be a major fighting symbol against larger parties such as BNP and Jamaat. “Water Lily is already established among the people; now the bud has joined Water Lily,” he said.
Criticising the EC, the NCP leader said the Commission has been moving slowly while election festivity has already started in the country. “We want to enter the election phase and the February election to be held fairly. We also want to participate in it,” he added.
He urged the commission to complete the NCP’s registration process quickly so the party can go to the field with its symbol. “Inshallah, in the future there will be a neck-and-neck contest between ‘Sheaf of Paddy’ (BNP’s electoral symbol) and ‘Water Lily Bud’ (NCP’s possible electoral symbol).”
On October 30 last, the EC released a revised list of 119 electoral symbols, incorporating ‘Water Lily Bud’ (Shapla Koli). According to the revised schedule, 20 new symbols have been added to the list, while 16 old ones have been dropped.
Later on the day, EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed clarified that there is a difference between the ‘Water Lily’ symbol sought by NCP and the newly incorporated ‘Water Lily Bud’ (Shapla Koli) in the revised list of 119 electoral symbols.
Two other NCP delegation members are its joint convener Khaled Saifullah and its joint member secretary Jahirul Islam Musa.
