Nahid Islam, the convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP), has said the party's decision on participating in the upcoming election depends entirely on the interim government's reform efforts.
“You are aware that a reform initiative is underway through the National Consensus Commission. Dr Muhammad Yunus has made a public commitment to the nation that a July proclamation based on national consensus will be announced by the end of July. Therefore, our top priority remains reform. Our decision on participating in the election will depend on the outcome of the reform process,” Nahid told reporters on Sunday, after submitting documents to the Election Commission (EC) for the party’s registration.
He added that the NCP’s current political position revolves around the July declaration, reform agenda, formation of a constituent assembly, and a roadmap for justice.
Nahid stated that the NCP has submitted all required documents and applications in compliance with the EC’s conditions for registration.
“We have established committees in 105 upazilas and 25 districts. Additionally, we have completed the mandatory forms with 200 supporters in each upazila, secured offices in each district and upazila, and submitted our party constitution. We are hopeful that the NCP will receive its registration soon and will reach out to the public as a registered political party,” he said.
Regarding the party’s proposed electoral symbol, he said: “Our first choice is the shapla (water lily). Our second and third choices are the pen and the mobile phone. We believe the shapla represents the people's cause, the symbol of mass uprising, and the identity of rural Bangladesh. With the shapla symbol, we plan to engage with the public and contest the election.”
Nahid also mentioned that the party had a courtesy meeting with the chief election commissioner, during which they raised the issue of voting rights for expatriates.
“We made a strong demand to ensure voting rights for expatriate Bangladeshis. While the Election Commission has not yet finalized a method, they assured us that a decision would be made soon,” he said.
When asked why the NCP applied to use Bangladesh’s national emblem as their electoral symbol, he responded: “We reviewed the relevant election laws and found no prohibitions of this nature.
"For instance, jackfruit, the national fruit, is already used as an electoral symbol by a political party. So, we saw no legal barrier in applying. Besides, the national emblem is not limited to the shapla alone. The water lily, paddy sheaf, and star—together—comprise the national emblem. You will notice that both the paddy sheaf and the star are already electoral symbols of political parties. Therefore, we do not foresee any legal issue.”
