The ruling Awami League (AL) has formally submitted the estimated electoral cost to the Election Commission (EC) and in accordance with the estimated cost the party has spent Tk 10.5 million as polls expenditure during the 11th parliamentary elections.
A party delegation led by HT Imam, co-chairman of the AL electoral co-ordination committee, submitted the polls expenditure to the EC today.
A total of eight members, including AL Acting General Secretary Mahbub-ul Alam Hanif, Joint General Secretary and Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni and Executive Committee Member Advocate Reazul Kabir Kawsar, were present during the submission of polls expenditure.
The representatives submitted the party’s electoral cost to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Khan Mohammad Nurul Huda at the Election Office at Agargaon here.
Election Commissioners M Rafiqul Islam, Begum Kabita Khanam and Joint Secretary of the EC secretariat M Abul Kashem were present.
As per the Peoples Representative Order (RPO), each political party must have to submit its polls expenditure to the EC within 90 days after the election. If any political party fails to submit their estimated cost to the EC within the stipulated time, then the EC can extend it to 30 days more.
Otherwise, the particular political party must have to pay a financial penalty of Taka 10 lakh with an extension of 15 days time-limit for submitting their estimated polls cost, said the RPO.
Then the EC can cancel the registration of the particular political party in case of failure.
According to the rules, as none of the political parties submitted their estimated polls cost within March 31, this year, so the EC has asked the political parties to submit their polls expenditure within 30 days.