The National Citizens Party (NCP) has decided to take “Shapla Koli (water lily bud)” as its election symbol and announced it will field candidates in 300 constituencies in the upcoming national election.

NCP Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary made the announcement on Sunday after meeting Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin at the Election Commission headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka.

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 behavior, we cannot afford to remain stuck on the symbol. Our decision prioritizes the greater interest.”

“It represents both Shapla and Koli, taking the symbol a step forward. The Election Commission, after careful consideration, combined the two in the final decision,” he explained.

Regarding NCP’s electoral plans, Patwary said the party will consider candidates from any part of the country who approach their office. He also urged the Election Commission to complete the party’s registration process promptly.

Commenting on the Election Commission, Patwary 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 expressed concern that the Commission may continue to act arbitrarily toward citizens in the future.

On the party’s seat target, he said: “We intend to contest in all 300 constituencies.”

Patwary also alleged that he had learned that Tk20 lakh was reportedly demanded as a nomination fee by a certain party member. He criticized Jamaat-e-Islami for establishing religious fascism and BNP for extortion and terrorism, stating, “We cannot align ourselves with either.”