AL, JP can spend up to Tk 4.5cr each for electioneering

Although there are laws in place to limit the expenditure of political parties in electioneering ahead of polls, the Election Commission lacks a mechanism to monitor such spending, according to some EC officials.

According to the Representation of the People Order, 1972, a party that has fielded over 200 candidates can spend up to Tk 4.5 crore.

There are 266 candidates from Awami League and 265 from Jatiyo Party in the upcoming election. This means, both these parties can spend up to Tk 4.5 crore in campaigning.

"The Election Commission caps campaign spending for a party in line with the RPO. Parties are already aware about it," said EC additional secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath.

Besides, the EC allows each candidate to spend up to Tk 25 lakh for electioneering.

Several EC officials said the objective of setting expenditure caps is to prevent the spending of undisclosed money ahead of polls. However, they admitted that EC does not have any effective means to check whether the parties are abiding by the law and spending within their limits.

Asked, Ashok said, "I am not in a position to make any comments regarding the matter".

According to the RPO, parties that have fielded over 100 candidates but not more than 200  can spend Tk 3 crore.

Trinamool BNP and National People's Party fall in this category for the January 7 polls.  The parties have fielded 135 and 122 candidates respectively.

Parties that have fielded more than 50 candidates but less than 100 are allowed to spend up to Tk 1.5 crore.

Bangladesh Congress has 95 candidates, Bangladesh Supreme Party 79, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal  65, Bangladesh Sangiskritik Muktijote 63 and Bangladesh Nationalist Movement 54.

The rest of the 18 parties have fielded less than 50 candidates. According to the RPO, they can spend Tk 75 lakh each.

As per the law, these parties will have to submit the expenditure statement to the EC within 90 days of the election.

In 2018, AL informed the EC their expenditure for the polls was Tk 1.05 crore. In that election, the party fielded 261 candidates. BNP, which fielded 256 candidates, spent Tk 1.11 crore and Jatiya Party's expenditure was 4.52 lakh for 178 participants.

During that election, Islami Andolan Bangladesh's expenditure was the highest -- Tk 2.14 crore for 298 candidates.

Seven political parties Liberal Democratic Party, Biklapadhara Bangladesh, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, Gonforum, Jatiya Ganotantrik Party and Bangladesh Sangiskritik Muktijote informed the EC that they did not have any party wise expenditure for the 2018 polls.