Big parties want audit report deadline extended

Major political parties including Awami League (AL), BNP and Jatiya Party have sought more time from Election Commission (EC) to submit their audit report.

The RPO Act stipulates every registered political party to submit their annual audit report to EC.

The parties were supposed to submit their 2013 audit report by July 31.

However, the EC has yet to receive the audit reports. Only 28 of the 40 registered parties have submitted their audit reports within the deadline.

Incumbent AL has applied for extending the date to September 1.

AL leader ABM Riazul Kabir said the application letter, signed by AL general secretary, had been sent to acting secretary of EC on Thursday.

EC officials said BNP and Jatiya Party had asked for extending the time to August 14 and 30 respectively.

PS to EC's acting secretary Mainuddin Khan said EC had also received similar requests from other political parties.

Following the applications, EC officials have now been considering to extend the date of submission by one month.

EC commissioner Abu Hafiz told journalists last week," We have still some days to receive the audit reports. EC will decide on those who fail to do so in time. At this moment, I cannot say anything about this."

Submission of 'Audit Reoprt' for registered political parties has begun in 2008. But every year parties requested to extend the deadline.

Rule says that a party will lose its registration if it fails to submit audit report thrice in a row.