The symbol allocation to candidates contesting the 12th parliamentary election was held on Monday, marking the official start of campaigning for the much-hyped polls on January 7.
At the Segunbagicha Returning Officer's office, it was observed that the majority of candidates had their representatives collect the election symbols.
Among others, actor Ferdous Ahmed of the Awami League personally collected his election symbol, the Boat. Flanked by supporters, he then campaigned at business establishments in Azimpur area.
Right after getting their symbols, many candidates started campaigning on social media, while others started distributing leaflets.
In Mohammadpur and Adabor areas, Awami League-nominated Jahangir Kabir Nanak’s supporters have flooded the streets with posters, banners, and festoons, creating the atmosphere of an election. Temporary stalls have been constructed with bamboo, wood, and cloth in many areas.
The Awami League and the 14-party alliance are contesting the elections under the Boat symbol. Meanwhile, candidates from the Jatiya Party (JaPa) were allocated their party symbol, the Plough.
Candidates from 27 registered political parties, including the Awami League, are participating in the elections, boycotted by the BNP and like-minded parties.
Other parties contesting the election are Trinamool BNP, Bangladesh Supreme Party (BSP), and Bangladesh Nationalist Movement (BNM), which were formed ahead of the announcement of the election schedule.
The Trinamool BNP has been allocated the Golden Scales symbol for the election, and the BSP received the Ektara symbol. BNM's symbol is an anchor, but their specific election symbol remains unknown.
The Islami Oikya Front got the Chair symbol, the Nationalist Oikya Front the Television symbol, the Islami Oikya Jote the Minar symbol, the National People's Party the Mango symbol, the Bangladesh Congress the Green Coconut symbol, the Bangladesh Sanskritic Muktijot the Stick symbol, the Gono Front was allotted the Fish symbol, the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JaSoD) the Torch symbol, and the Workers Party of Bangladesh the Hammer symbol.
Independent candidates select their own symbols. If multiple independent candidates want the same symbol, it is allotted through a lottery.
A total of 1,896 candidates are set to contest in the election in 300 constituencies after the withdrawal of nominations.
The Trinamool BNP had nominated candidates for 290 seats, but only 151 submitted their nomination papers, as per EC data. Out of these, 140 candidates remained after the last date of nomination withdrawal on Sunday.
The exact number of candidates from the BSP and the BNM who have passed scrutiny is still unclear.
