Three New Parties to Receive EC Registration: EC Secretary

EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed confirmed the development to reporters on Tuesday (November 4) in front of his office at Nirban Bhaban, Agargaon, in the capital.

He said that following the preliminary scrutiny and field investigations, three parties Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist), Bangladesh Aam Janaaz Party, and Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) have met the required conditions for registration out of 143 applications submitted.

“These three parties have been found eligible for registration. A public notification will be published in newspapers tomorrow, inviting opinions and objections regarding their registration,” said the EC Secretary.

He added that the deadline for submitting objections or opinions is November 12, after which the commission will review all feedback before making a final decision. If no complications arise, the final registration or gazette notification may be published by November 14 or 15.

The EC Secretary also said that while several other parties had initially been considered, their registration processes were later cancelled due to a lack of continuity in political activities. These include Jatiya Janata Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Shahjahan Siraj), and Jatiya League.

Additionally, the applications of Aam Janata Dal, Bangladesh Justice and Development Party, Bhashani Janashakti Party, Bangladesh Bekar Mukti Parishad, Janata Dal, Maulik Bangla, Janata Party, and Bangladesh Ganotantrik Party were rejected for inaccuracies in their submissions.

Responding to questions from journalists, Akhtar Ahmed explained that parties must fulfill at least one of two mandatory conditions to qualify for registration: Having a functional office and members in at least 100 upazilas or metropolitan areas, or Having a functional office and members in at least 22 districts. He noted that the EC, in line with a court directive, considered some applications on a lenient basis despite minor shortfalls.

Regarding party symbols, the EC Secretary said that NCP and two other parties have applied for specific symbols, with one requesting a change. “The commission is reviewing symbol availability, and final decisions will be mentioned in the notification,” he added.

If approved, the inclusion of these three parties will bring the total number of registered political parties in Bangladesh to 44.