An electrical connector comprising: a housing made of insulator and provided thereon with an opening through which a flat circuit device is inserted into the housing and which opens on a first end portion of the housing, a plurality of conductive contacts arranged on the housing, each of which has a connecting terminal portion projecting from a second end portion opposite to the first end portion of the housing to the outside of the housing and a press-contacting portion positioned in the housing to be operative to come into press-contact with a connecting terminal provided on the flat circuit device inserted in the housing through the opening provided thereon, and a shell member mounted on the housing for covering partially the same and provided in a body therein with a holding portion (26; 28) operative to be put in engagement with the flat circuit device inserted in the housing for holding the same and a manipulatable releasing portion formed to be manipulated for releasing the holding portion (26; 28) from the engagement with the flat circuit device inserted in the housing, characterized in that the holding portion (26:28) is constituted to extend to be bent from an end of a portion of the shell member provided for covering a first plate-shaped portion of the housing toward a second plate-shaped portion opposite to the first plate-shaped portion of the housing so as to reach into an inside of the housing and to have an engaging projection (25;27) formed thereon to be moved selectively for engaging with and disengaging from the flat circuit device inserted in the housing, and the manipulatable releasing portion is constituted with the portion of the shell member provided for covering the first plate-shaped portion of the housing to be operative to shift its position with the holding portion (26; 28) in a direction intersecting a direction along which the conductive contacts are arranged. a housing made of insulator and provided thereon with an opening through which a flat circuit device is inserted into the housing and which opens on a first end portion of the housing, a plurality of conductive contacts arranged on the housing, each of which has a connecting terminal portion projecting from a second end portion opposite to the first end portion of the housing to the outside of the housing and a press-contacting portion positioned in the housing to be operative to come into press-contact with a connecting terminal provided on the flat circuit device inserted in the housing through the opening provided thereon, and a shell member mounted on the housing for covering partially the same and provided in a body therein with a holding portion (26; 28) operative to be put in engagement with the flat circuit device inserted in the housing for holding the same and a manipulatable releasing portion formed to be manipulated for releasing the holding portion (26; 28) from the engagement with the flat circuit device inserted in the housing, characterized in that the holding portion (26:28) is constituted to extend to be bent from an end of a portion of the shell member provided for covering a first plate-shaped portion of the housing toward a second plate-shaped portion opposite to the first plate-shaped portion of the housing so as to reach into an inside of the housing and to have an engaging projection (25;27) formed thereon to be moved selectively for engaging with and disengaging from the flat circuit device inserted in the housing, and the manipulatable releasing portion is constituted with the portion of the shell member provided for covering the first plate-shaped portion of the housing to be operative to shift its position with the holding portion (26; 28) in a direction intersecting a direction along which the conductive contacts are arranged.