‘Boat’ symbol removed from Election Commission website

The ‘boat’ symbol of the Bangladesh Awami League, whose registration has been suspended, has been removed from the Election Commission (EC) website. On Wednesday (July 16) morning, it was seen that the boat symbol was not visible next to the name Awami League (registration suspended) on the EC website. In this regard, EC Secretariat System Manager Md. Rafiqul Haque said that the boat symbol was removed on the instructions of higher authorities. Earlier, in a Facebook post on Tuesday night, Local Government Advisor Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan criticized the EC and asked, on what basis did you send the cursed ‘boat’ symbol to the Law Ministry to be re-scheduled? He wrote, As a constitutional institution, you showed the thumbs up to this mass uprising. Whose agenda did you keep this symbol to implement and to whom? On August 5, 2024, the mass uprising of students and the public ended the 15-year rule of the Awami League. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and took refuge in India. Later, on May 12, the government officially banned the political activities of the Awami League and all its organs and affiliates. After that, the Election Commission also suspended the party’s registration. Earlier, on the evening of July 13, Election Commissioner (EC) Abdur Rahmanel Machud had said that although the registration of the Awami League was suspended, the boat was not being dropped as an election symbol right now. He also said that the Shapla was not being included as a symbol right now. That afternoon, the National Citizen Party (NCP) protested the fact that the boat remained in the list of election symbols even after the registration was suspended. In a meeting held with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin at the Election Building, the party demanded the removal of the boat symbol.