The Election Commission is set to award registration to two new political parties – National Citizen Party (NCP) and Bangladesh Jatiya League – as they have fulfilled conditions, said EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed on Tuesday.
“We received applications from 143 parties seeking registration. After scrutiny, we shortlisted 22 parties for further field-level inquiries. After reviewing this information (gleaned from field-level), our position is that two parties have preliminarily met the conditions. The two parties are National Citizen Party (NCP) and Bangladesh Jatiya League,” he said while briefing reporters in the evening.
The EC Secretary said the Commission will now publish a public notification in newspapers inviting objections, if any, against the registration of the two parties.
He, however, said there is an unresolved issue over the election symbol sought by NCP. “The symbol they (NCP) requested is not included in our schedule of symbol related rules. So, we will write to them asking to confirm a suitable alternative (from the schedule). After they confirm, we will publish the notification mentioning their symbol.”
Akhtar Ahmed said Bangladesh Jatiya League sought a right symbol (which is within the schedule of symbols).
He said the EC needs further reviews for three other parties at the EC Secretariat and its field-level offices before taking the final decision to award them registration.
The three parties are Bangladesh Aam Janagan Party, Bangladesh Janata Party and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Jasod- Shahjahan Siraj).
Besides, Bangladesh Nezam Islami Party is also eligible for registration in line with a court verdict, he said.
The Commission will also carry out extensive review and scrutiny on nine more parties. The nine parties are Aam Janata Dal, Bangladesh Ganotantrik Party (BJP), Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist), Bangladesh Justice and Development Party, Bhashani Janashakti Party, Bangladesh Bekar Mukti Parishad, Janata Dal, Moulik Bangla and Janata Party Bangladesh.
“We will search for more information about these nine parties,” said the EC Secretary.
So, the EC will carry out a search for further information about 12 parties including Aam Janagan Party, Bangladesh Janata Party and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Jasod- Shahjahan Siraj), he added.
Earlier on September 25, Bangladesh Labour Party, known as an ally of BNP in its simultaneous movement, received official registration as a political party from the Election Commission with the electoral symbol ‘pineapple,’ on Thursday, following a High Court order.
With the Labour Party, the total number of registered political parties now stands at 52, including Awami League. But AL’s registration was suspended by the EC in May last soon after the government banned its activities under the Anti-Terrorism Act, until the International Crimes Tribunal completes the trial of the party and its leaders.
A total of 56 parties have so far obtained registration, but five of them—Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Freedom Party, Oikyabodha Nagorik Andolan, PDP and Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (Jagpa)—later lost their status due to different grounds and court orders. But Jamaat has recently got back their registration following the court order.
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