No party symbols in local government elections

The schedule for the local government elections has not yet been determined, but there will be no party symbols, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A M M Nasir Uddin has announced.

The CEC made the statement on Monday (May 18) during a program organized by the Reporters Forum for Election and Democracy (RFED) at the Electoral Training Institute in Agargaon.

In the past, local government elections have witnessed numerous killings and incidents of violence. Competition becomes exceptionally intense, particularly in rural areas, leading to conflicts even among candidates from the same family or locality. For this reason, the Chief Election Commissioner urged political parties to engage in dialogues among themselves to ensure an environment for a bloodless election.

The CEC expressed concern that although party symbols will not be used this time, various political parties are already taking sides for their respective candidates, which could end up heating up the election environment.

The Chief Election Commissioner hopes for a positive culture to be established in elections. He stated, "Not just a single election, but all future elections should be truly fair and peaceful."

Nasir Uddin noted, "The Election Commission alone cannot make an election successful."

"Cooperation is required from all parties, including law enforcement agencies, the administration, political parties, candidates, journalists, and voters. Therefore, the Election Commission is emphasizing extensive awareness campaigns ahead of the local government elections," the CEC added.