After the suspension of the Bangladesh Awami League’s registration, the party’s historic ‘Nouka’ (boat) symbol has been removed from the Election Commission (EC) official website.
As of Wednesday morning, July 16, the symbol no longer appears next to the Awami League’s name on the EC site.
When asked about the matter, Md Rafiqul Haque, System Manager at the EC Secretariat, said, “The boat symbol was removed following instructions from higher authorities.”
Earlier, on Tuesday night (July 15), Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, former local government adviser of the Awami League, criticized the Election Commission in a Facebook post, questioning, “On what grounds was the ‘Nouka’ symbol rescheduled again?”a comment that stirred widespread discussion.
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It’s worth noting that on August 5, 2024, the Awami League’s 15-year-long rule came to an end. Later, on May 12, 2025, the current government officially banned the party’s political activities, and the Election Commission suspended its registration.
However, just days ago, on July 13, Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud had said, “Although the registration has been suspended and political activities banned, the boat symbol will remain in the schedule for now. Each party is allotted a symbol, and these remain preserved by the EC until a final decision is made.”
Yet within only three days, the EC shifted its stance and removed the symbol from its website. The move has sparked renewed debate in the political arena.
