Chief Election Commissioner A. M. M. Nasir Uddin said the Shapla (water lily) symbol was first requested by Nagorik Oikyot but was not allotted to them; later the NCP sought the Shapla, but the symbol has not been granted to anyone. The CEC dismissed claims that he viewed a statement by NCP leader Sarjis Alam as a threat, saying politicians often make many remarks and the election administration will continue its duties. He pledged to use maximum effort to ensure a level playing field for elections and reiterated that preparations for a February poll are well underway. According to the constitution and RPO, proportional representation (PR) voting is not currently permitted; adopting PR would require constitutional and RPO changes. The CEC said a decision on registration of new political parties will be made within days as verification continues.