Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has formally requested the Election Commission (EC) to remove its electoral symbol, the ‘Scales’ (Daripalla), from the ballot papers in two specific constituencies for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election.
The request was made in a letter sent to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on January 23. The letter, signed by the party’s Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar, explained that the decision stems from strategic seat-sharing agreements within the 10-party electoral alliance.
Strategic Alliance and Seat Sharing
According to the letter, Jamaat-e-Islami had initially nominated Md. Amjad Hossain for the Narsingdi-2 (Constituency 200) and Dr. Abu Naser for the Chattogram-8 (Constituency 285). However, following a consensus within the alliance, these seats were conceded to candidates from the National Citizen Party (NCP).
The revised alliance nominations for these seats are:
- Narsingdi-2: Golam Sarwar (NCP)
- Chattogram-8: Md. Jobairul Hasan Arif (NCP)
Withdrawal Challenges
The party noted that although the seats were handed over to the NCP as part of the “one-box policy,” the original Jamaat-e-Islami nominees were unable to formally withdraw their nomination papers within the official deadline.
In the case of Chattogram-8, local party leaders clarified in a recent press conference that Dr. Abu Naser could not finalize his withdrawal on time as he was in Dhaka during the cutoff period.
Request to the Commission
To avoid voter confusion and ensure the alliance’s unified front, Jamaat-e-Islami has urged the EC to take the necessary steps to ensure the ‘Scales’ symbol does not appear on the ballot papers for these two seats. The party has asked the commission to treat the NCP nominees as the sole candidates for the alliance in those jurisdictions.
The 13th National Parliamentary Election is scheduled to be held on February 12, 2026, under the interim government.
