Ershad-led Jatiya Party defaults
HM Ershad-led Jatiya Party failed to submit the return of the January-5 national polls expenses to the Election Commission in the stipulated time that expired on Wednesday.
Out of the 12 contestant political parties, 11 submitted their reports of election expenses to the commission by the deadline, said an EC official preferring anonymity.
As per the Representation of the People Order 1972, the main opposition party will now get 15 days more to place the statement of polls expenditure on condition of giving fine of Tk 10,000.
If the party fails to submit the statement to the EC even after that time, the commission will have legal authority to cancel its registration.
The 11 parties are ruling Awami League, Workers Party, Jasad, Tarikat Federation, BNF, Jatiya Party-JP, Ganatontri Party, NAP, Gano Front, Khelafat Majlish and Bangladesh Islami Front.
Only 12 political parties out of 41 registered parties took part in the 10th parliamentary elections boycotted by the then opposition BNP-led 18-party alliance.
But all the 12 contestant parties failed to submit return of polls expenses within the April 23 deadline, 90 days after the last gazette (Kurigram-4 election) of the national election was published.
Earlier on May 5, the commission asked the parties to place their return of election expenses by June 4 warning that otherwise, the parties will face legal measures.
According to report of AL’s polls expenses submitted to the EC, the ruling party spent some Tk 25.40 million in January 5 parliamentary elections which largely went uncontested.
As per the data available on the EC’s website, BNF spent about Tk 5.80 million in the election while JP (Manju) Tk 1.23 million, Bangladesh National Awami Party (NAP) Tk 0.94 million, Jasad (Inu) Tk 1 million, Workers Party some Tk 5.1 million, Ganotantri Party Tk 60,000.
As per the law, there is Tk 75 lakh ceiling of polls expenditure for the party with maximum 50 candidates while Tk 1.5 crore for the party with 100 candidates, Tk 3 crore for the party with 200 candidates and Tk 4.5 crore for the party with 300 candidates.
Source: UNB Connect
