Increased poll expenditure for campaign demanded
Staff Reporter :
The politicians at a roundtable on Tuesday demanded increase of election campaign expenditure so that a candidate could run his or her campaign properly.
“Election is like a festival in Bangladesh. But it is expensive. It is very difficult to conduct election campaign with a small amount of money. The Election Commission fixed the ceiling at Tk 25 lakh per candidate. But it is not sufficient. It should be increased,” they said.
They said this at a roundtable discussion titled,
“To Bring Transparency for Political Economy in Bangladesh” held in the CIRDAP Auditorium. Election Working Committee (UWG) organised the discussion.
Joint-General Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League Mahbubul Alam Hanif said, election is now expensive. It is difficult to contest the election with ceiling. The ceiling should be increased after reviewing the existing law.
“No candidate can run his or her campaign with Tk 25 lakh much he or she wants. That is why the middle class people are disassociating from politics. Politics involves money. It cannot be ignored,” Hanif said.
“The Election Commission (EC) faces many problems. Sometimes it cannot give appropriate decision. National disharmony is responsible for this situation. So, it needs to make national consensus among the political parties. Democracy is more essential. The Awami League is trying to establish democracy in the party,” Hanif said.
Adviser to BNP Chairperson and former minister Dr M Osman Faruque said, it is impossible to participate in the election with the ceiling fixed by the EC, which has not adequate manpower.
Presidium Member of Jatiya Party and former minister G M Quader said, Tk 25 lakh is illogical. Transparency and accountability have to be ensured in the politics. Politicians raise their voice against the irregularities when they are in opposition. But when they are in government they forget everything. It is the nature of Bangladeshi politicians, he said.
Executive Director of Transparency International (TIB) Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Jahangirnagar University Professor Al Masud Hasanuzzaman, Professor Abdul Latif Masum, Dilip Kumar Sarker, Miraz Mizu, Shahjadi Begum of Massline Media, Alea Jaman of Solidarity Foundation and Tanjina Nawshin of Youth Forum spoke the discussion, among others.
The politicians at a roundtable on Tuesday demanded increase of election campaign expenditure so that a candidate could run his or her campaign properly.
“Election is like a festival in Bangladesh. But it is expensive. It is very difficult to conduct election campaign with a small amount of money. The Election Commission fixed the ceiling at Tk 25 lakh per candidate. But it is not sufficient. It should be increased,” they said.
They said this at a roundtable discussion titled,
“To Bring Transparency for Political Economy in Bangladesh” held in the CIRDAP Auditorium. Election Working Committee (UWG) organised the discussion.
Joint-General Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League Mahbubul Alam Hanif said, election is now expensive. It is difficult to contest the election with ceiling. The ceiling should be increased after reviewing the existing law.
“No candidate can run his or her campaign with Tk 25 lakh much he or she wants. That is why the middle class people are disassociating from politics. Politics involves money. It cannot be ignored,” Hanif said.
“The Election Commission (EC) faces many problems. Sometimes it cannot give appropriate decision. National disharmony is responsible for this situation. So, it needs to make national consensus among the political parties. Democracy is more essential. The Awami League is trying to establish democracy in the party,” Hanif said.
Adviser to BNP Chairperson and former minister Dr M Osman Faruque said, it is impossible to participate in the election with the ceiling fixed by the EC, which has not adequate manpower.
Presidium Member of Jatiya Party and former minister G M Quader said, Tk 25 lakh is illogical. Transparency and accountability have to be ensured in the politics. Politicians raise their voice against the irregularities when they are in opposition. But when they are in government they forget everything. It is the nature of Bangladeshi politicians, he said.
Executive Director of Transparency International (TIB) Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Jahangirnagar University Professor Al Masud Hasanuzzaman, Professor Abdul Latif Masum, Dilip Kumar Sarker, Miraz Mizu, Shahjadi Begum of Massline Media, Alea Jaman of Solidarity Foundation and Tanjina Nawshin of Youth Forum spoke the discussion, among others.