Sarjis Alam, Chief Organizer for the northern region of the Jatiya Nagarik Party (NCP), has challenged the Election Commission’s (EC) decision regarding electoral symbols, stating that if the national flower ‘Shapla’ (water lily) cannot be a political party symbol, then neither should the ‘Dhaner Sheesh’ (sheaf of paddy), a prominent symbol used by another major political party.
Alam made these remarks in a post on his verified Facebook account late on Wednesday night. His comments come after the Election Commission reportedly made a policy decision not to include the water lily in the schedule of electoral symbols, meaning no political party can use it as their emblem. The NCP, which has applied for registration with the EC, had listed the water lily among its three proposed party symbols.
In his Facebook post, Sarjis Alam argued, “The water lily is not the national emblem itself, but a part of the national emblem. Similarly, the sheaf of paddy, jute leaf, and star are also parts of the national emblem. If the water lily cannot be a political party symbol, then the sheaf of paddy also cannot. And if any part of the national emblem can be a political party symbol, then the water lily can too.”
He further asserted that there is no legal impediment for the water lily to be a symbol, given its status as the national flower. “There is no legal barrier for the national flower, Shapla, to be a symbol. Because the national fruit, Jackfruit (Kathal), is already in use as a symbol,” Alam wrote. He concluded his post with a pointed remark: “And if you’re scared just by seeing the symbol, then say so beforehand!”
