Election Commission gazettes 115 symbols, ‘Shapla’ not included

The Election Commission has reserved 115 symbols for registered parties and independent candidates for the 13th parliamentary polls, excluding the expected “Shapla” symbol of the National Citizen Party. The revised list has been published in the gazette of the parliamentary election rules, signed by EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed on Wednesday. As per the gazette, the Awami League’s registration and its “boat” symbol remain suspended, while the remaining symbols will be available for allocation to other candidates. The list of reserved symbols for party and independent candidates has expanded from 69 to 115, with 50 registered parties and five suspended. Several new parties are also expected to obtain registration this time. Alongside the party-specific logos, the EC has reserved symbols for...