M M Jasim :
The Election Commission (EC) has selected 34 electoral symbols for distribution among the candidates of the forthcoming city corporation elections in Dhaka and Chittagong. The symbols of city elections were 68 in the previous times, the EC sources said.
The EC has also stopped use of apple, lock, duck and television as symbols for the elections.
Md Sirajul Islam, Secretary of EC Secretariat, said that the EC selected 34 electoral symbols for the polls of mayor, councillor and reserved councillor. He said that the EC decided that it would use separate symbol in different elections.
The apple, lock, duck and television symbols were used in Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal, Sylhet, Narayangonj, Comilla, Rangpur and Gazipur city elections. The candidates of city polls were seen to lobby to the EC offices to get apple, lock, duck and television symbols as these are the popular symbols among the voters.
The EC sources said that it selected the apple, lock, duck and television symbols for the national and upazila elections. Television will be used for the member of Parliament’s symbol, Apple for upazila chairman’s symbol, lock for the vice-chairman and duck for the women vice-chairman.
Among the symbols, orange, cricket bat, wheel, table watch, telescope, dish antenna, fire box, flux, bus, peacock, elephant and hilsha fish for the mayor candidates. Ketley, glass, betel leaf, case, tissue box, bottle, radish, tool and Almira have been fixed for the reserved councilor candidates.
Fork spoon, sweet pumpkin, air conditioner, saw, kite, Tiffin carrier, tractor, push cart, basket, badminton racket, radio and top symbols have been finalised for the councilor candidates.
The EC sources said that the voters were in trouble and could not know to see the symbols during the elections. But now they can easily identify their candidates for the post of mayor, councillor and reserved councillor.
