The ‘weighing scale’ symbol has been pulled off from the list of emblems slated for the candidates in parliamentary elections in Bangladesh.
The Election Commission officials had received the official gazette over the matter on Wednesday.
With the latest change, the Election Commission now has 64 symbols for parliamentary elections.
Authorities concerned took the step to bar candidates from using the weighing scale symbol following a Supreme Court order.
The Supreme Court’s full bench meeting on December 12, 2016 decided not to let any political party use the ‘weighing scale’ symbol, which symbolizes justice.
After the EC Secretariat had received the SC order, a meeting of the EC decided to drop the symbol No. 32 from the list of reserved symbols in the election conduction rules.
The government published the gazette on the matter after vetting by the law ministry.
The Jamaat-e-Islami, which had opposed Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan, had been using the ‘weighing scale’ as its election symbol.
The party also obtained EC registration with the ‘weighing scale’ as its election symbol on November 4, 2008.
The party lost its registration following a High Court order as their charter goes against the constitution of Bangladesh.
Jamaat-e-Islami had appealed against the HC order, the proceeding of which is still pending.
Source: The Daily Ittefaq
