EC offered no explanation for excluding ‘Shapla’ from list of poll symbols, says NCP

Leaders of the National Citizen Party (NCP) are refusing to budge from their demand for allocation of the “Shapla” or water lily as electoral symbol during a meeting with the Election Commission. At the Thursday meeting, the party also sought an explanation from the commission as to why the symbol could not be granted. The meeting began at 4pm at the Nirbachan Bhaban and lasted for two and a half hours, attended by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin and EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed. After the discussion, the party’s Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary said the NCP would not accept any symbol other than Shapla. He added that the EC “could not provide any explanation” for denying the symbol. “For...