National Citizen Party (NCP) Chief Organiser (South) Hasnat Abdullah sharply criticised BNP leader Tarique Rahman for urging party supporters to prioritise the party’s electoral symbol over individual nominees.

In a Facebook Live session today, Hasnat said Tarique Rahman’s statement — made the previous day — claiming that the “symbol matters more than the candidate” raises serious concerns for the country’s political future.

According to Hasnat, Tarique’s stance suggests that he is unwilling to move away from Article 70, the constitutional rule that causes an MP to lose their seat if they resign from or vote against the party that nominated them.

At a BNP event yesterday, Tarique told supporters that even if their preferred individual did not receive the nomination, they should work for the sheaf of paddy symbol, emphasising that “the party—not the candidate—is what counts”.

Hasnat argued that such a viewpoint, especially coming from someone who may become a national leader, poses risks for democratic practices. He said a person in such a position would have to support elected MPs unconditionally, regardless of who they are, which he sees as troubling.

He questioned whether the country is being steered toward a highly centralised system in which party high command decisions become absolute.

Hasnat stressed that both the candidate and the symbol are essential in an election. Voters, he said, should not choose a candidate solely because of a party symbol, especially if the nominee has a questionable reputation. Instead, people should consider personal integrity, capability, patriotism, and policy-making skills.

He concluded by saying that a vote represents a balance between the candidate and the symbol, and that ultimately it is the elected representative — not the symbol — who will speak for the citizens in parliament.