Two new political parties, the National Citizen Party and the Bangladesh Jatiya League, are set to receive preliminary registration from the Election Commission after meeting all required conditions, senior secretary Akhtar Ahmed said on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters at the EC headquarters in Agargaon in Dhaka city, Akhtar Ahmed said that the commission received applications from 143 political parties when it invited registration requests.
鈥楢t the initial stage, we shortlisted 22 parties for further scrutiny, which was based on field-level information and detailed review. Following this process, two parties have met the preliminary requirements,鈥� he said.
鈥榃e will now publish a notice in the newspapers at this stage regarding these parties to see if there are any objections concerning them,鈥� the EC secretary said.
Regarding the NCP, Akhter Ahmed said that the symbol of the party was not yet specified as their requested party symbol was not listed in the official symbol regulations.
鈥楢s the symbol is not yet specified, we will issue a letter to confirm the symbol they wish to use. Once we receive their response, we will publish a notification naming their approved symbol,鈥� he explained.
Regarding the Bangladesh Jatiya League, their proposed symbol was fully compliant and there were no issues, although he did not disclose the symbol itself.
The commission secretary also confirmed that the Bangladesh Nezam Islam Party was eligible for registration following a favourable court ruling.
Akhter Ahmed said that several other parties, including Bangladesh Aam Janogan Party, Jatiya Janata Party, and the National Socialist Party (JASAD, Shahjahan Siraj faction) would require additional review at both the secretariat and field levels,.
He said that the commission was also considering nine more parties for verification: the Aam Janata Party, Bangladesh Ganatantrik Party, Bangladesh Socialist Party (Marxist), Bangladesh Justice and Development Party, Bhasani Janashakti Party, Bangladesh Bekar Mukti Parishad, Janatar Dal, Moulik Bangla, and Janata Party Bangladesh.
The EC secretary, however, said that seven parties had failed to provide sufficient documentation and that their applications would be rejected.
These are: Forward Party, Bangladesh Communist Party (Marxist-CPBM), Bangladesh Reformist Party (BRP), Bangladesh Bekar Samaj, Bangladesh Solution Party, Natun Bangladesh Party, and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and Nezam-e-Islami Party.
At present, 51 political parties, including the Bangladesh Awami League, are registered with the Election Commission.
Awami League鈥檚 registration has recently been suspended as the government imposed ban on the activities of the party.