(MENAFN- IANS) Dhaka, July 16 (IANS) Bangladesh's Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday removed the election symbol of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party from its website in a fresh attempt to end the party's decades-long political existence in the country.

Confirming the development, an EC Secretariat official stated that the 'boat' symbol was taken down following instructions from the higher authorities, local media reported.

Last week, Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud had stated that the Awami League could retain its boat symbol as they are never banned.

"The boat symbol was allocated to a party, but symbols belong to the Election Commission. Even if a party is dissolved, its symbol remains with the EC and can be reallocated. We don't eliminate symbols," news outlet bdnews24 quoted Masud as saying.

The National Citizen Party (NCP) has been demanding removal of the Awami League's symbol from the list of election symbols.

On May 12, the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government issued a gazette notification banning all activities of the Awami League and its affiliate organisations. The ban was imposed under the Anti-Terrorism Act until the trial of the party and its leaders in Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) is completed.

The ban included all party activities, including any kind of publication, campaigns in media, online and social media, procession, meeting, gathering, conference, etc.

Analysts reckon the latest developments as an extension of the political vendetta pursued by the interim government led by Yunus against former PM Hasina and her supporters, with a larger plan of keeping the Awami League away from taking part in the national elections.

The unceremonious exit of Hasina last August was globally seen as a major setback to the democratic set-up in the country. The interim government has also received massive criticism for providing shelter to radical and extremist Islamic outfits.

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