No money limit

Some central leaders of BNP distribute leaflets for the party-backed mayoral candidate in Barisal City Corporation polls. Photo: Star

Around midnight on Wednesday, a councillor candidate was giving wads of money to some youths in front of Salma Chhatri Nibash at Jamtola of the city to distribute among voters. None who came to meet him left empty-handed.
The candidate, who is an identified criminal, allowed The Daily Star reporters to witness the distribution on condition that his name would be withheld. He said he spent several lakh taka but still needed more to win hearts of voters.
He is accused in at least 13 cases, including for extortion and violence, filed with four police stations in the city. He had been arrested in three cases towards the end of May but is now out in bail, police sources said.
"Under the election rules, I can spend only Tk 2 lakh. I've spent the amount in the first few days of the campaign. Expenditure of a councillor candidate will exceed even the Tk 15 lakh limit set for a mayoral candidate," the candidate said.
His revelation shows how desperate candidates are to win polls through spending money in violation of the electoral code of conduct.

Bags of Awami League organising Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim (not seen in the photo) are all packed and being loaded to his car as he is about to leave the city after taking part in the campaign for his party favourite candidate for the last few days. Anybody who is not a candidate or voter of tomorrow's polls, cannot stay in the city concerned from Wednesday midnight till the election day noon, as per an Election Commission order. Photo: Star

The 18-party-backed mayoral candidate Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul is much ahead of his rival Khairuzzaman Liton in spending money.
Bulbul has already exceeded the Tk 15 lakh limit since the campaign began on May 27. He got a donation of Tk 78 lakh from businessmen and contactors loyal to the BNP and the Jamaat-e-Islami at a meeting in the house of a top BNP leader in Rajshahi on the night of May 26, said a local BNP leader who is Bulbul's close aide.
But Bulbul dismissed the allegation.
Liton, too, has exceeded the limit, said one of his close aides who is involved in his campaign.
Having failed to get donation from party leaders, Liton borrowed Tk 30 lakh from a contractor to meet the election cost, he added.
But Liton claimed: “So far, I have spent Tk 13 lakh. So there is no question of crossing the limit."
Sources said those working for Bulbul's campaign were getting Tk 5,000-7,000 a day and those for Liton's campaign Tk 500-1,500.
Female campaigners on Bulbul's camp are getting Tk 300-500 per day while those on Liton's camp Tk 200, added the sources.
Contacted, Returning Officer Subhas Chandra Sarker said it was difficult to find out the exact amount spent on the campaign and take action accordingly.
“Our magistrates are working in this regard,” he added.