Annual Audit Report to EC
21 of 38 parties oblige; BNP among defaulters
Ruling Awami League and 20 other registered political parties of the country submitted their annual audit report to the Election Commission yesterday, the day the deadline for the submission expires.
Main opposition BNP, however, sought two months' time from the EC yesterday while nine other parties requested between one and three months' time to submit their audit reports.
The remaining seven registered political parties, out of a total of 38, neither submitted their audit reports nor sought time from the EC.
According to Political Parties Registration Rules, 2008, a party has to get its financial transactions of a calendar year audited by a chartered accountant firm and submit a copy of the firm's report to the commission by July 31 of the following year.
Election Commissioner M Sakhawat Hussain told The Daily Star that the commission will decide later on whether to extend time for the defaulting political parties. "The chief election commissioner is abroad. He is expected to be home tomorrow [today]. We will make a decision after a meeting," he said.........
Awami League showed collection of primary membership recruitment fees, fees from councillors, central working committee members' fees, fees from the members of its advisory committee, fees from its parliament members, the sale of coupons, bank interest on the party's funds and insurance and different service-oriented organisations as its main sources of income, Mrinal told journalists.
Salary of workers and officials of Awami League offices, utility bills, entertainment and campaigning cost have been shown as the party's major expenditure, he added.
A few hours after the Awami League submitted its report, BNP Assistant Office Secretary Abdul Latif Johnny submitted the BNP letter requesting more time from the EC.
Talking to reporters, Johnny said, "We could not prepare the report. That is why we have requested for more time."
The parties that have submitted audit reports include Jatiya Party, Liberal Democratic Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Bangladesh National Awami Party, Zaker Party, National People's Party, Islami Andolon Bangladesh, and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish.
Jatiya Party-JP (the Manju faction), Ganatantri Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal, Bangladesh Jatiya Party-BJP, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, Bangladesh Muslim League, Islamic Front of Bangladesh and Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) appealed for time extension.
Bangladesher Samyabadi Dal, Workers Party of Bangladesh, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Gono Front, Oikkyabaddho Nagorik Andolan, Bangladesher Kalyan Party neither submitted audit reports nor appealed for more time.
Prior to the ninth parliamentary elections, registration of political parties with the EC was made mandatory and the rule for submission of audit reports was framed to ensure transparency in political parties' financial transactions.
21 of 38 parties oblige; BNP among defaulters
