Election Commission registers AB party with 'Eagle' symbol  

The Election Commission has officially registered Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) as a political party, following a directive from the High Court. 

The party received the notification of its registration on Wednesday (21 August), with the 'Eagle' symbol allocated to it. 

Earlier on 19 August, after the final hearing of a writ petition, the High Court ordered the EC to immediately register the AB Party as a political party. 

In compliance with this ruling, the Election Commission has issued a notification stating that Amar Bangladesh Party, headquartered at Saiham Sky View Tower, 4th Floor, 45 Bijoy Nagar Road, Dhaka-1000, is now registered as a political party until further notice. The Eagle symbol has been reserved for the party, and its registration number is 050, dated 21 August 2024.

The registration process for new parties was initiated by the Election Commission in 2023, ahead of the 12th parliamentary election. Although the AB Party initially passed the preliminary selection, it was ultimately excluded due to inaccuracies in its final submission.

The party subsequently filed a review petition with Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal on 8 August, which was rejected, prompting AB Party leaders to seek recourse in court, where they were successful.

According to various media reports, the convener of the AB Party is FM Solaiman Chowdhury, a former leader of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami (Majlis Shura member) and former chairman of the National Revenue Board. Additionally, Mujibur Rahman Manju, a former president of Islami Chhatrashibir, serves as the member secretary of the party.

With the inclusion of the AB Party, the total number of registered political parties with the Election Commission now stands at 45. As per the People's Representation Order, only registered parties can participate in elections using their own symbols.