Wed Nov 19 15:45:32 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text, followed by a news article rewrite:
Summary:
The National Citizen Party (NCP), a political party that emerged from the student movement that ousted Sheikh Hasina’s government in Bangladesh, has been officially registered by the Election Commission (EC) ahead of the upcoming February general election. They were granted the electoral symbol “Shapla Koli” (water lily bud) after initially being denied their preferred “Shapla” (water lily), which is also the national emblem. The party intends to contest all 300 parliamentary constituencies. This registration occurs amidst heightened political tension and anticipation surrounding the election, where the EC is reviewing a large number of party applications and has also published the final voter list.
News Article:
Bangladesh’s National Citizen Party Registered Ahead of Tense Elections
The Hindu (via New Delhi/Dhaka) – November 19, 2025 – The National Citizen Party (NCP), born from the student uprising that led to the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last year, has been officially registered as a political party in Bangladesh. The announcement comes ahead of the February general election, setting the stage for a potentially volatile political landscape.
The Election Commission (EC) granted the NCP the electoral symbol “Shapla Koli” (water lily bud), after initially rejecting their request for the “Shapla” (water lily) symbol, which is also the national emblem of Bangladesh. The NCP had briefly threatened protests over the initial rejection but ultimately accepted the alternate symbol.
The party, an offshoot of the “Students against Discrimination (SAD)” movement, plans to field candidates in all 300 constituencies. Their registration coincides with a politically charged atmosphere following Hasina’s recent death sentence in absentia by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) for alleged crimes against humanity during her government’s crackdown on student protests.
“The commission has started working on the registration of 143 political parties,” stated Akhtar Ahmed, Senior Secretary of the EC Secretariat, during a press briefing in Dhaka. The EC reported rejecting 121 applications during the first stage of review.
The EC also published the final voter list on Tuesday, revealing a total of 127,695,183 registered voters, highlighting the scale of participation anticipated in the upcoming elections. The inclusion of the NCP adds a new dynamic to the political arena as Bangladesh prepares for a potentially transformative election season.
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