Dhaka: The candidates who contested the 13th parliamentary election are legally obliged to submit the return of election expenses by mid-March before the Election Commission (EC). ‘There is an obligation to submit the return of candidates’ poll expenses before the returning officer concerned within 30 days after the announcement of election result (in gazette),’ said a letter the EC sent to returning officers on Wednesday.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the EC also instructed returning officers to send the submitted return of election expenses to the Commission by March 25. As per Article 44C (1) of the Representation of the People Order, 1972, every election agent of a contesting candidate must submit a return of election expenses in the prescribed form within thirty days after the publication of the name of the returned candidate.
Since the official election result was published on February 13, the return of a candidate’s election expenses must be submitted by March 15. In the February-12 parliamentary election, a total of 2,028 candidates ran in 299 constituencies (excluding Sherpur-3) across the country. The contestants included 1,755 nominees from 50 political parties and 273 independent candidates.
The EC published the names and addresses of 297 elected MP candidates in a gazette on February 13, withholding the election results of Chattogram-2 and 4 constituencies due to court decisions. The newly elected MPs comprise 209 from BNP, 68 from Jamaat, seven independent MPs, six from NCP, two from Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis, and one MP each from Bangladesh Jatiya Party-BJP, Ganaodhikar Parishad, Ganasamhati Andolan, Khelafat Majlish, and Islami Andolan Bangladesh.
The political parties that participated in the recent general election must also submit an expenditure statement to the Election Commission within 90 days after the completion of the election. Article 44CCC (1) of the RPO, 1972, mandates that every political party nominating any candidate for election shall submit to the Commission, within ninety days of the completion of election in all constituencies, an expenditure statement detailing the expenses incurred or authorized in connection with the election of its candidates.