The Election Commission (EC) has rejected a request from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami to remove its electoral symbol, the ‘Scales’ (Daripalla), from the ballot papers in seven parliamentary constituencies for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election.
In a letter sent to Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar on Thursday, January 29, the EC clarified that there is no legal provision to withdraw a symbol after the official deadline has passed.
Legal Grounds for Rejection
The EC cited Article 16(2) of the Representation of the People Order (RPO), 1972, which dictates the process for candidate withdrawal. According to the law:
- A political party must notify the Returning Officer about its final candidate on or before the designated withdrawal date.
- Once the deadline passes and symbols are officially allocated, the list of contesting candidates is considered final.
The letter, signed by EC Deputy Secretary Mohammad Monir Hossain, emphasized that since the symbol allocation was finalized on January 21, the request to withdraw symbols now is “not legally viable.”
The Seven Contested Seats
Jamaat-e-Islami had sought to clear the ‘Scales’ symbol from the ballots in the following constituencies to support alliance partners:
- Chattogram-8
- Chattogram-12
- Narsingdi-2
- Narsingdi-3
- Narayanganj-3
- Bhola-2
- Sunamganj-1
EC Stand: No Scope for Late Changes
Election Commissioner Md. Anwarul Islam Sarker reaffirmed the commission’s position, stating that the law does not allow for new withdrawals or re-allocations after the deadline. “We have clearly stated that there is no scope for this. The requests sent for symbol withdrawal after the deadline are not legally valid,” he told reporters.
The 13th National Parliamentary Election and a constitutional referendum are scheduled to be held simultaneously on February 12, 2026.
