EC Erases Electoral Emblem- Boat Amid AL Registration Suspension
Following the suspension of the Bangladesh Awami League’s registration, the Election Commission (EC) has removed the party’s iconic electoral symbol, the boat (Nouka), from its official website. EC Secretariat’s System Manager Rafiqul Haque confirmed that the removal was made under direct instruction from the authorities.
However, EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed clarified that the symbol will remain preserved under the electoral rules despite being temporarily taken offline. “Some confusion and questions have arisen among the public regarding the boat symbol. To avoid further misunderstanding, it has been taken down from the website for now. Since the registration of the Bangladesh Awami League has been suspended, the Commission deemed its removal to be reasonable,” he told reporters on Wednesday, July 16, following an informal meeting of the Chief Election Commissioner and other commissioners at the EC headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka.
Akhtar Ahmed further added, “The boat symbol is still included in the gazette. It will remain in the official schedule as a preserved symbol, meaning no other entity can use it.”
In response to a question, the EC Secretary stressed that the decision was made not under any pressure but purely to prevent public confusion. “The symbol remains in the schedule under the electoral conduct rules, but it is off-limits for use.”
Regarding other political entities, he stated that Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration and electoral symbol have been reinstated and are now listed on the Commission’s website, as per the official gazette notification.
When asked about the Shapla (water lily) symbol, the Secretary said, “It has not yet been included in the schedule. If the Commission decides to add it, that will be their decision—but I cannot confirm whether they will or not.”
The move follows a Facebook post made late Tuesday night by Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, Adviser on Local Government, directed at the Election Commission. He wrote: “On what grounds did you send the cursed boat symbol to the Law Ministry for re-inclusion in the schedule? As a constitutional body, your action seems to be giving a thumbs-down to the public uprising. Whose agenda are you pushing? Are you trying to give the defeated a refined version of the Awami League by restoring their symbol? As a citizen of Bangladesh, I demand answers from the Election Commission.”
