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Following the formal abolition of political party symbols in rural local government contests, the Election Commission (EC) on Thursday (September 24) finalized a standardized catalog of 42 non-partisan electoral symbols for contestants vying in upcoming Union Parishad (UP) elections across the country.
According to the official gazette signed by EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed, 20 distinct symbols have been reserved for chairman candidates, 12 symbols for general ward member aspirants, and 10 symbols for candidates running in reserved seats for women.
The approved symbols for UP chairman contestants feature universally recognizable household and cultural iconography, including computer, horse, double-decker bus, table clock, peacock, telephone, motorcycle, and baby taxi. Contenders for reserved women seats will select from symbols such as sewing machine, sunflower, wardrobe, and helicopter, while general ward members will contest under symbols like football, tractor, tube well, and electric fan.
Election Commission officials reaffirmed that conducting local body elections on a strictly non-partisan basis is engineered to defuse grassroots political factionalism, reduce partisan intimidation, and ensure that competent community leaders can contest without compulsory political party sponsorships.
Civil society election monitors and local governance researchers praised the reform, highlighting that the historical deployment of national party symbols in rural village councils had exacerbated post-poll violence and entrenched corrupt patronage networks over basic municipal service delivery.
The EC reiterated that although local elections will not be staged during November or December due to electoral roll updating and secondary examinations, returning officers across all 64 districts have been directed to begin logistical printing preparations.
https://thedailyexpress.news/news/bangladesh/1f1b8345-4ceb-6880-b4f1-b2fbed049196