Candidates ready to hit polls campaign as EC allots symbols 

The Election Commission (EC) has completed the allocation of electoral symbols for 1,972 candidates contesting 298 constituencies nationwide in the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. With symbols now assigned, candidates can officially begin their election campaigns from Thursday, January 22, EC officials said.

The allocation process took place on Wednesday, with returning officers completing symbol distribution from morning until 5:00pm across all 298 constituencies. Ruhul Amin Mallik, Director (Public Relations) of the EC Secretariat, confirmed: "By 5:00pm today, returning officers have finished allocating symbols for 1,972 candidates nationwide."

He added that after symbol allocation, returning officers will inform the EC of the number of candidates contesting in each constituency and submit Form-5 containing candidate details. Based on this information, ballot papers will be printed, with printing expected to begin on Thursday.

According to the EC's Political Parties and Candidates Code of Conduct 2025, no registered political party, its nominated candidate, independent candidate, or representative may begin campaigning earlier than three weeks before polling day. Election campaigning must also end 48 hours before voting begins.