Ruling Awami League has spent over 10 million to contest the 11th parliamentary election -- a 35 million less than the amount set by Election Commissions, people familiar with the matter says.
The AL could spend as much as 45 million in line the election laws s as the party fielded 260 candidates in the Dec 30 polls.
The figure was revealed when an AL delegation filed the party’s election expense details to the Chief Election Commission KM Nurul Huda on Sunday (Apr 21).
AL Election Coordination Committee Co-Chairman HT Imam led the seven-member delegation.
Citing the polls expense details were submitted on time, Imam said, “Spending in the 2008 and the 2014 national polls somewhat increased, which dropped this time.”
AL spent Tk 25.4 million and Tk 36.2 million in the 10th national election in 2014 and in the 9th parliamentary election in 2008 respectively.
“Previously, many candidates received party’s financial assistance, which was not the case this time,” said Imam before adding AL earned relatively more from donations during the Dec 30 polls.
All of AL candidates have already filed the statement on election expenses to their respective returning officers in line with the election laws, he informed.
Asked on the party’s polls expenditure, the senior AL leader avoided the question saying the statement is now “an EC’s property.”
“It’s a public document and will be available on EC’s website,” he said.
The ruling party, however, filed the expense details of Tk 10.5 million on the Dec 30 polls, said a delegation member, who wished to go unnamed.
According to party sources, AL earned Tk 108.8 million by selling nomination forms to as many as 3,628 in the 11th parliamentary election.