Dhaka Correspondent:

After 56 years of its establishment, the Bangladesh National League (BNL) is finally getting registration from the Election Commission (EC). At the same time, the EC has decided to register the newly formed Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP). As a result, the number of registered political parties in the country will stand at 53.

The Bangladesh National League was formed on July 20, 1969, under the leadership of Ataur Rahman Khan, the former Chief Minister of the then East Pakistan during the Pakistan period. He was elected as a member of parliament from the Dhaka-19 constituency for this party in the first national parliamentary election after independence in 1973. At that time, the party's symbol was a plow.

The current chairman of the Jatiya League, Mahbubul Alam, said, "After a long journey, our party is finally getting registration. Our historical symbol was a plow. Both Ataur Rahman Khan and Professor Mofizul Islam were elected with the plow symbol. Therefore, the real claimant of this symbol is the Bangladesh National League. We will ask the EC to return this symbol.’’

He also said that at one time the plough symbol went to Ershad’s Jatiya Party. Later, the Bangladesh Jatiya League was given the pineapple symbol, which was later allocated to another party. Although the party’s symbol is currently a banana branch, they will apply to get the plough back.

Ataur Rahman Khan was not only the founder of the Jatiya League, he was one of the leaders of the language movement and the freedom movement. As a nominated candidate of the United Front in 1954, he was elected a member of the East Bengal Provincial Council and became a government minister in the same year. In 1956, he became the Chief Minister of East Pakistan.

After independence, he won again in the 1979 parliamentary election. Later, he became the Prime Minister of the Ershad government, but he was politically criticized for this decision. His son Ziaur Rahman Khan has been elected as a member of parliament several times for the BNP.

The registration system for political parties was introduced before the ninth national parliament election in 2008. Since then, despite applying several times, the Bangladesh Jatiya League has not been registered. After repeatedly applying with the same information but failing, they finally got the registration in 2025.

According to EC sources, no political party can participate in the parliamentary elections without party registration. Jamaat-e-Islam's registration was last restored in June. Earlier, the party's registration was suspended due to the ban on the activities of the Awami League.

Bangladesh National League leaders hope that by getting the registration, they will be able to play an active role in the political arena again and get back the historical symbol of the party, the plough.