Boat (politics)

The boat symbol

The Boat is the electoral symbol of Bangladesh Awami League.

After the independence of Pakistan, East Bengal-based United Front wanted to have the plough for the 1954 East Bengal Legislative Assembly election, but as the symbol was used in British India by the Krishak Praja Party, the government didn’t grant them the symbol. Instead they had to choose boat as their electoral symbol.[1] The United Front was dissolved in 1957 and then East Pakistan Awami League, one of its member parties, got the symbol for elections. In 1970 Pakistani general election, the All-Pakistan Awami League participated with the boat symbol and won.[2] The Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League, member party of the Awami League-led 8 Party Alliance, participated in the 1986 Bangladeshi general election with the boat symbol.[3][4] Before 2018 Bangladeshi general election, 11 political parties wanted to participate with the boat symbol under the Awami League-led Grand Alliance.[5] In 2023, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Jatiya Party (Manju) and Workers Party of Bangladesh, members party of the Awami League based 14 Party Alliance, decided to choose the boat symbol for the 2024 Bangladeshi general election instead of their own electoral symbol.[6] In 2024, the Awami League authority decided not to grant their party symbol to anyone for the local elections to resolve disputes among the party workers. Instead they decided that the candidates from the party can use any symbol they want.[7][8]

  1. ^ Khan, Kamal Joha (6 December 2018). "যেভাবে এল নৌকা, ধানের শীষ, লাঙ্গল". Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 9 March 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  2. ^ "নৌকা যেভাবে প্রতীক হলো". Kaler Kantho (in Bengali). 12 January 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  3. ^ "Near East & South Asia: Bangladesh" (PDF). JPRS Report. 1: 10. 12 September 1991. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  4. ^ Miah, M. A. Wazed (1997). বঙ্গবন্ধু শেখ মুজিবকে ঘিরে কিছু ঘটনা ও বাংলাদেশ (in Bengali). Dhaka: The University Press Limited. p. 359.
  5. ^ "নৌকা বনাম ধানের শীষে ১১ বনাম ১১". Bdnews24.com (in Bengali). 23 November 2018. Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  6. ^ "নিজেদের প্রতীকে আস্থা নেই, নৌকা নিয়ে ভোট করবেন ইনু-মঞ্জু-মেনন". Dhaka Post (in Bengali). 17 December 2023. Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  7. ^ "নৌকা প্রতীক না দেওয়ার নেপথ্যে". Shomoyer Alo (in Bengali). 24 January 2024. Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  8. ^ "সিটি-পৌরসভা নির্বাচনে নৌকা প্রতীক নিয়ে যে সিদ্ধান্ত জানালেন কাদের". Daily Kalbela (in Bengali). 22 January 2024. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.