 has rejected Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami's request to withdraw its electoral symbol, 'Dharipalla' (Scales), from the ballot papers in seven parliamentary constituencies for the upcoming general election. On Thursday, the EC clarified that under current electoral laws, there is no provision for withdrawing a symbol after the official deadline.){kind=link}
The Election Commission (EC) has rejected Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s request to withdraw its electoral symbol, ‘Dharipalla’ (Scales), from the ballot papers in seven parliamentary constituencies for the upcoming general election. On Thursday, the EC clarified that under current electoral laws, there is no provision for withdrawing a symbol after the official deadline.
In a letter addressed to Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar, the EC cited Article 16(2) of the Representation of the People Order (RPO), 1972. The commission explained that the finalization of symbols is a binding process, and it cannot be altered once the ballots are set for printing. Jamaat sought to withdraw the symbol in seats including Chattogram-8, Narsingdi-2, and Bhola-2, reportedly to provide a clear path for its political allies.
Despite Jamaat’s intent to concede these seats to coalition partners, the EC’s decision means the ‘Scales’ symbol will remain on the ballot, potentially impacting the voting dynamics in those specific constituencies.