Bangladesh
BNP Lobbyist EC to take action if the BNP does not submit expenditure for lobbyist
Dhaka, February 1: The Election Commission (EC) is looking into the issue of spending on recruiting BNP lobbyists in the United States. If the party does not submit the issue of expenditure in that sector to the EC, this constitutional body is thinking of investigating and taking action. This has been put on the agenda of the 93rd meeting to be held next Thursday (February 3), according to Election Commission sources.
It is learned that 4 specific agendas have been put in the meeting on Thursday. Agenda number three includes the BNP's letter to the state minister for foreign affairs regarding the appointment of lobbyists. It said, "If the Minister of State for External Affairs does not mention the expenditure details of foreign lobbyist recruitment by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party in the audit report submitted to the Election Commission, then the matter should be investigated and action should be taken."
Apart from this, a limited range of programs in the capital to hand over the smart NID emblazoned with the freedom fighters' heroic freedom fighters, English and Bengali lessons of RPO and delimitation of constituencies in the form of law book are on the agenda.
Asked about this, Additional Secretary of the Election Commission Ashok Kumar Debnath told Bangla Tribune that the commission will meet on Thursday (February 3). The state minister for foreign affairs has given a DO letter to the commission regarding the cost of appointing BNP lobbyists. The issue of that DO letter is on the agenda.
On January 19, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam informed the media about the letter to the Election Commission and Bangladesh Bank. Shahriar Alam said that a copy of the agreement reached between the BNP and the present government to appoint a lobbyist has been sent to the Election Commission. Because, every political party has to submit the income and expenditure account to the Election Commission. The commission has been asked to look into whether the BNP has submitted an account of this amount to the Election Commission.
Shahriar Alam said that BNP-Jamaat has signed eight agreements for the recruitment of foreign lobbyists. The BNP has signed three agreements. The BNP has spent USD 3.75 million on these three agreements. The address of the BNP office has also been mentioned in the copy of the agreement. The address of the organization is not given in the copy of Jamaat's agreement. However, their names are in the copy of the agreement.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam raised the issue of spending money on the appointment of BNP-Jamaat lobbyists in the National Assembly session on January 17.
