"If the Shapla symbol is not given, then even the paddy ears will have to be dropped": Hasnat Abdullah

National Citizen Party (NCP) South Zone Chief Organizer Hasnat Abdullah said that their party wants to participate in the upcoming elections with the 'Shapla' symbol, otherwise the party does not need to register.

He made these remarks as the chief guest at a courtyard meeting organized by the NCP in Chowdhurypara area of ​​Dhamati Union of Debidwar Upazila of Comilla on Friday (October 10) evening.

Hasnat Abdullah said, "If we are not given the Shapla symbol, then even the paddy ears will have to be dropped. No one can stop the Shapla. The Election Commission (EC) is not fulfilling its constitutional responsibilities properly. The EC's remote control is now in another place. The Election Commission is supposed to be run from Agargaon, but it is now being controlled from somewhere else."

He further said, “We can now see this commission as a ‘dictatorship commission’. The current commission is taking decisions at a lower level than the Awal Commission. We should know from previous experience what the consequences of neglecting our responsibilities can be. I will tell the Election Commission – take decisions according to the law, no constitutional institution can take arbitrary decisions.”

Accusing the Election Commission of biased behavior, Hasnat said, “Various political parties are threatening us to withdraw from our demand for the Shapla. But since the Shapla is a national symbol, if it is not given to the NCP, then the paddy ear will also have to be canceled – because it is also included in the national symbol. We see that the Election Commission is deliberately taking biased decisions. If the Shapla is not given, then we do not need to register.”

District NCP members Rabiul Monir Chowdhury, Mojibur Rahman, Mahmudul Hasan and Saiful Islam, among others, also spoke at the courtyard meeting organized under the chairmanship of Jahangir Alam, acting caretaker of Debidwar Upazila NCP.