The ruling Awami League and 17 other political parties did not submit annual financial statements to the Election Commission, in breach of the law on registration of political parties.
The seven-month deadline for submitting the statements expired yesterday. Of 38 parties registered with the EC, only 20 including BNP, Jatiya Party and Jamaat-e-Islami have turned in their financial reports of the calendar year 2009.
AL, meantime, has sought one month's time. In a letter to the EC yesterday, it said it could not submit the report in time as audit of its accounts was still on.
AL Deputy Publicity Secretary Mrinal Kanti Das submitted the letter signed by AL General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam.
Six other parties have also applied for extension by a month or two, while the remaining 11 did not even contact the commission, said officials at the EC Secretariat.
Workers Party of Bangladesh, Liberal Democratic Party and Bangladesh Jatiya Party--all three have representation in the ninth parliament--are among the parties who have failed to submit reports.
Asked about the political parties' plea for time extension, Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday said there is no scope to do so, as the time limit is specified in the law.
“Not submitting reports in time is a minor irregularity. But political parties will have to be brought under a system gradually,” the polls chief observed.
Queried what action would be taken against the defaulters, Election Commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussein said the EC might issue notice asking them to explain why they failed to submit financial transaction reports.
“Even party registration might be cancelled. We will however take decision considering overall aspects,” Sohul told reporters at the EC Secretariat.
According to the Political Parties Registration Rules 2008, a party must have its financial transactions audited by a chartered accounting firm and submit a copy of the report to the commission by July 31.
Before the ninth parliamentary election in 2008, political parties' registration with the EC was made mandatory.
The registration rules require the parties to submit finance reports to ensure transparency in their finances.
The parties will get seven months from January to comply with the provision for submitting the reports.
Though the deadline was to end on Saturday, political parties were allowed to submit reports yesterday since July 31 was a public holiday.
Leaders of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami submitted financial statements to the EC yesterday afternoon. They however would not say anything about their income and expenditures in 2009.
“The party has yet to take any decision on making its accounts public,” Nazrul Islam Khan, BNP national standing committee member, told reporters after submission of the report.
He said the party had its financial transactions in 2009 audited by A Haq & Company, a chartered accounting firm.
Nazrul was accompanied by AKM Aminul Haq, chief of the audit firm.
Jamaat leader Jasim Uddin Sarkar said their party had its accounts audited by MI Chowdhury and Company.
He said the members' fees and donations from well-wishers are the main source of their income. The party does not own any business, he added.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal General Secretary Abdul Malek Ratan told reporters his party's income in 2009 was Tk 5.70 lakh and expenditure Tk 5.51 lakh.
“The people have the right to know details about a party's income and expenditure,” he added.
According to the Representation of the People Order, registration of a political party may be cancelled for failing to provide the EC with information for three consecutive years.