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Poll spending started well before campaign

TIB finds 142 candidates spent nearly Tk 3 lakh each before campaign

Staff Correspondent
As many as 142 candidates from 40 constituencies spent on average about Tk 3.04 lakh each for campaigns before electioneering was allowed as per electoral laws, says Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB).
The candidates from Awami League, BNP and Jamaat along with independent ones had already spent about Tk 4.32 crore by the time campaigning was allowed 21 days before the national election.
However. this tendency is less this year compared to the cancelled election of
January 22 last year, said TIB Trustee Board Chairman Prof Muzaffer Ahmad at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity yesterday.
Prof Muzaffer said the reduction in illegal expenditure was possible thanks to some stern measures taken by the Election Commission (EC).
He said the candidates spent money illegally by inventing new processes and violating die electoral code of conduct in ways very difficult to identify.
According to the Representation of People Ordinance (RPO), a candidate can spend highest Tk 15 lakh for campaign and is not eligible to start campaigning
before 21 days of election.
The Bangladesh chapter of Transparency International organised the press conference to publish its first survey report on die ninth parliamentary election. The report was prepared based on campaigns in 40 constituencies including 15 in Dhaka.
TIB will publish two more reports after the December 29 election.
Shahzada M Akram of TIB presented the survey report, which covered the time span fromEid-uI-Fitr to December 11, the last day for withdrawal of nominations.
The report says there are candidates who have given Tk 40 lakh to Tk 1 crore to the party funds to get party tickets.
According to the survey, 51 candidates of Awami League, 42 of BNP, 12 of Jatiya Party and six of Jamaat conducted campaigns illegally.
The candidates spent about Tk 4.32 crore during this period, the report says. The candidates of BNP on average spent Tk 3.89 lakh each and each AL candidate on average spent Tk 3.09 lakh.
The highest spend by a BNP candidate was Tk 19.78 lakh and Tk 16.02 lakh by an AL candidate, says the report.
The independent candidates on average spent Tk 3.3 lakh with the highest spend beingTk 38.5 lakh, it adds.
A survey report of TIB conducted before the cancelled January 22 election revealed that each BNP candidate on average spent Tk 18.69 lakh and each AL candidateTk 13.96 lakh.
The report says political parties again nominated black money holders, industrialists and criminals who do not show respect to electoral laws.
Although there was an obligation of giving nomination to tire candidates recommended by the grassroots level the political parties hardly obeyed it, the report observes.
Besides, several candidates did not clearly reveal information of eight categories, but EC took no action against them.
TIB has recommended monitoringcampaign expenditures and violation of electoral code of conduct regularly for a fair and acceptable poll. It also suggests action against the candidates who would conduct campaigns before announcing polls schedule.
TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Treasurer M Hafizuddin Khan, among others, attended the press conference.