A five-member delegation of the committee met NBR Chairman Khairuzzaman Chowdhury and urged him to take steps so that the candidates are required to get their wealth statements certified by NBR before submitting them to the Election Commission (EC).

As an alternative they suggested that NBR should take an initiative to have access to the wealth statements submitted to EC, to scrutinise them. NBR Member ASM Zahir Mohammad was present during the discussion.

The committee delegation also suggested that NBR should take a co-ordinated effort to monitor use of undeclared money in the general election.

Former finance minister also joint-convener of the committee M Syduzzaman led the delegation that included joint-convener Laila Kabir, former member of a care taker government ASM Shahjahan, former attorney general Mahmudul Islam and eminent economist Dr Debapriya Bhattachariya.

Responding to the delegation's call the NBR chairman said they are ready to take such initiatives if the EC wishes. "Then NBR would form a task force and scrutinise the wealth statements of the major candidates in each constituency," he said.

At least ten candidates in each constituency could be under such a scrutiny, he observed.

Regarding procurement of expensive cars by the members of parliament under the government's duty free facilities, the NBR chairman informed the delegation that the board already checked some cases and collected revenues after detecting anomalies.

"We discussed how to reduce influence of black money in the general elections," M Syduzzaman told journalists after the meeting. He said influence of black money could be reduced by implementing existing laws.

"We think if NBR, ACC (anti-corruption commission) and EC work in close collaboration in good faith, we can substantially reduce the flow of black money in the upcoming general election," said Dr Debapriya Bhattachariya, member-secretary of the committee.

He said the delegation and NBR officials discussed the possibility of cancelling candidacies if inconsistencies are found between the wealth statements submitted to the EC and NBR.

The 27-member Nagorik Committee was formed for preparing a vision for Bangladesh and to pursue honest and competent candidates in the next general election. The committee was formed with joint initiatives of non-government think tank Centre for Policy Dialogue, The Daily Star and the daily Prothom Alo.

The committee will also hold such dialogues with the Anti-corruption Commission and Election Commission.

The delegation also suggested making it mandatory to submit wealth statements and descriptions of life styles along with the tax returns of those who would compete in elections of public representatives.

The NBR chairman underscored the need for registration of political parties and audit of party expenditures for bringing transparency in the general election.

There should be a public demand for an end to harvesting indirect benefits by the elected officials while in power, he told the delegation.