'Coalition candidates must contest under own party symbols'

The Representation of the People (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, stipulating that candidates contesting under electoral coalition must use their own registered party symbols rather than adopting a common or larger party symbol.

The Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Law Ministry issued a gazette notification on Monday (November 3), formalizing the amendment.

The draft amendment had been approved earlier by the Advisory Council on October 23.
During consultations on revising Article 20, which governs coalition symbols, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) opposed the change, while Jamaat-e-Islami and Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) requested that the existing provision remain intact.

The government ultimately decided to maintain the rule that coalition candidates must contest under their individual party symbols.

Under the new ordinance, even if two or more registered political parties jointly nominate a candidate, the Election Commission will allocate the symbol belonging to the candidate’s own party based on their affiliation. This ensures that no candidate in an alliance can campaign under the symbol of a larger or allied party in the upcoming national election.

TF