AL earned 16 times more than BNP in 2013

The ruling Awami League's earnings last year was Tk 124 million – 16 times that of the opposition BNP that boycotted the Jan 5 general election.

Despite election spending, the ruling party had a Tk 55 million surplus.

The BNP suffered a Tk 15 million deficit during the same period.

Registered political parties have been submitting their annual financial reports to the Election Commission since registration was made mandatory in 2008.

The Awami League submitted its report for 2013 on Sunday after getting the deadline extended by a month.

A delegation, led by the party's Office Secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap, handed over the report to EC's Additional Secretary Mokhlesur Rahman on the last day of the deadline.

Delegation member Deputy Office Secretary Mrinal Kanti Das told reporters that the party earned Tk 124 million last year and spent Tk 67 million during the same period.

The sale of nomination forms before the polls, donations from party members and leaders, grant fee, and sale of party journals and old papers have been shown as income source.

Salaries of employees, bills for gas, water, electricity and telephone, relief works, canvassing, rallies, election spending have accounted for spending.

This is the first time the ruling party has disclosed its earning and spending.

Each time, Das skirted questions saying the report was the EC's "property" and it was up to it to decide on whether to publish it.

The EC, too, had declined making the figure public without consent of the parties concerned.

The BNP submitted its report on Aug 8 which showed a spending of over Tk 22.7 million against an income of over Tk 7.6 million.

Party's Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said they met the deficit from the 2012 surplus.

Speaking to bdnews24.com, a member of the Awami League delegation said, "The income-expenditure was not made public before due to legal bindings.

"This time, only the amount is being disclosed. The EC can publish the sector-wise description if it wants."

The Representation of the People Order stipulates submitting financial reports for the registered political parties within July 31.

However, the deadline was extended by another month at the request of several parties including the Awami League, BNP, and Jatiya Party.

Main opposition Jatiya Party showed a surplus of Tk 15 million in the election year. It spent Tk 28.2 million against an earning of Tk 33.7 million in 2013.

EC officials said they did not receive reports from five of the 40 registered parties until Sunday noon.