Bangladesh Election Drama: New Party Warns of "Bullet Revolution" Amid Symbol Battle

Addressing a press briefing on Tuesday, EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed had announced that the EC has granted registration to the NCP as well as to the Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist) party.

A subsequent gazette notification issued stated that the EC has registered NCP as a political party, adding that the electoral symbol 'Shapla Koli' (water lily bud) has been allocated to the newly registered party, reports Bangladesh's leading newspaper, Business Standard.

Earlier this month, amid its consistent demand for the Shapla (water lily) symbol, the party decided to opt for "Shapla Koli" as its electoral symbol and declared that it would field candidates in 300 constituencies in the February 2026 election.

Following a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin in Dhaka, NCP Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary said, "We have accepted Shapla Koli. While there may be questions about the symbol, we have not yet received a clear explanation from the Election Commission. Considering their arbitrary behaviour, we cannot afford to remain stuck on the symbol. Our decision prioritises the greater interest."

Criticising the EC, the NCP leader described it as an "Engineering Commission", saying, "Many processes are engineered here rather than conducted fairly. We are fighting our battle within this system."

He voiced concern, stating that the EC may continue to act arbitrarily towards citizens in future.

Last week, Patwary warned that it is prepared for either a "ballot revolution" or a "bullet revolution" in the country, local media reported.

"If Bangladesh continues on the democratic path, NCP is ready for a ballot revolution. But if blood must be shed, we are ready for a bullet revolution too," Bangladesh's leading newspaper, The Daily Star, quoted the NCP leader as saying.

Bangladesh continues to face growing uncertainty and political turmoil ahead of next year's election.

The parties that earlier collaborated with Muhammad Yunus to overthrow the democratically elected government of the Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina, are now at loggerheads over reform proposals.

- IANS