| Bangladesh: Integrity Scorecard Report > Sub-Category: Political Financing | ||
| Indicators | Score | |
| 20 | Are there regulations governing political financing? | 43 |
| 21 | Are the regulations governing political financing effective? | 0 |
| 22 | Can citizens access records related to political financing? | 8 |
Indicator and sub-Indicator Details
| 20 | Are there regulations governing political financing? | |||||||
| 20a: In law, there are regulations governing private contributions to political parties. | ||||||||
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Comments: In Bangladesh, there is no disclosure rule applicable to political party funding. Donations are not made public. References: Transparency International, Germany, 2006, National Integrity Systems in South Asia, p-6, www.transparency.org
Peer Review Comments: The Election Commission has initiated a move for electoral reforms making political party registration mandatory. The new law, if enacted, will have the provision of asking a political party to disclose its source of income. It is currently being discussed.
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| 20b: In law, there are limits on individual donations to candidates and political parties. | ||||||||
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Comments: Currently there is no disclosure rule applicable to political party funding. Substantial donations and their sources are not typically made public. There is almost a total absence of any legal provision regulating private contributions to election campaigns.The RPO,1972) allows the possibility of voluntary contribution to an election fund and stipulates that no donation amounting more than 1,000 taka (US$14.5) shall be received by a political party unless it is made by a check. There is no limit on individual donations to candidates and/or political parties. References: Transparency International, Berlin, National Integrity Systems in South Asia, 2006, p-6 The Representation of the People Order (RPO), 1972
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| 20c: In law, there are limits on corporate donations to candidates and political parties. | ||||||||
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Comments: There is a total absence of any legal provision regulating corporate contributions to candidates and/or political parties for election campaigns. References: Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya is executive director, Center for Policy Dialogue, Clean Finance for Competent Candidates, Credible Elections published in New Age, [ LINK ] Representation of the People Order, 1972
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| 20d: In law, there are limits on total political party expenditures. | ||||||||
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Comments: References: Art. 44CC of the Representation of the People Order, 1972
Peer Review Comments: The provision was made to restrict high expenditure in general elections, and the Election Commission raised the previous cap of expenditures in 2001. There is no limit of how much money a party can spend throughout the year to carry out its political program.
Peer Review Comments: Art. 44CC of the Representation of the People Order, 1972, only sets limits for a party's election expenditure.
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| 20e: In law, there are requirements for disclosure of donations to political candidates and parties. | ||||||||
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Comments: The election regulations (RPO 1972) require only disclosure of campaign funds of individuals candidates. Article 44AA (1) of the Representation of the People Order, 1972 states that Every contesting candidate shall submit to the returning officer, within seven days following the withdrawal day, a statement, in the prescribed form, of the probable sources of funding to meet his election expenses showing---- (a) the sum to be provided by him from his own income and the sources of such income; (b) the sum to be borrowed, or received as voluntary contribution, from his relation and the sources of their income; (c) the sum to be borrowed, or received as voluntary contribution, from any other person; (d) the sum to be received as voluntary contribution, from any political party, organization or association; (e) the sum to be received from any other source. Article 44CC (4) of the Representation of the People Order, 1972 states that No such political party shall receive any donation amounting to more than 1,000 take (US$14.5) unless it is made by check. Article 44CCC (3) of the Representation of the People Order, 1972 states that Every political party shall furnish to the commission a separate statement, certified to be correct and complete by the secretary to the party, showing the opening balance of the party funds on the date of publication of the notification under clause (1) of Article 11 the closing balance of the funds on the date of completion of election in all constituencies and the total amount received by the party, as donation or otherwise, during the period between the said two dates. References: Art. 44C (1) & 44CCC (3) of the Representation of the People Order, 1972
Peer Review Comments: All the provisions of the Representation of the People Order, 1972, quoted by the researcher only cover the election campaign period, from the date of the announcement of the schedule to the voting date.
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| 20f: In law, there are requirements for the independent auditing of the finances of political parties and candidates. | ||||||||
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Comments: Substantial donations and their sources are not typically made public. No official reports or audits of campaign financing or expenditure are prepared by any independent institutions, nor are such reports presented to the Parliament.
References: Transparency International, Berlin, National Integrity Systems in South Asia
Peer Review Comments: Under Article 44CCC of the Representation of the People Order 1972, a political party is asked to submit a statement of election expenditure within 60 days of the completion of election. In many cases this provision is not followed.
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| 20g: In law, there is an agency or entity that monitors the political financing process. | ||||||||
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Comments: References: Bangladesh Election Commission [ LINK ]
Peer Review Comments: But the commission has no mechanism to monitor party funding and expenditures.
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| 21 | Are the regulations governing political financing effective? | |||||||
| 21a: In practice, the limits on individual donations to candidates and political parties are effective in regulating an individual's ability to financially support a candidate or political party. | ||||||||
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Comments: In Bangladesh, there is no disclosure rule applicable to political party funding. Donations and their sources are not typically made public. No official reports and/or audits of campaign financing or expenditure are prepared by any independent institutions. References: Transparency International , Berlin, National Integrity Systems Country Study Report, Bangladesh 2003 Transparency International, Berlin, 2006, National Integrity Systems in South Asia Center for Policy Dialogue, CPD reveals 12-point agenda for CG to hold credible polls, Jan. 25, 2007, [ LINK ], Debapriya Bhattacharya, Clean Finance for Competent Candidates, Credible Elections, [ LINK ] Center for Governance Studies, BRAC University, Bangladesh, The State of Governance in Bangladesh 2006, Dhaka, Bangladesh, December 2006. PPRC Bangladesh Governance Report 2007, Unbundling Governance, March 2007
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| 21b: In practice, the limits on corporate donations to candidates and political parties are effective in regulating a company's ability to financially support a candidate or political party. | ||||||||
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Comments: There is a total absence of any legal provision regulating corporate contributions to election campaigns. Donations and their sources are not typically made public. No official reports or audits of campaign financing or expenditure are prepared by any independent institutions. References: Transparency International , Berlin, 2003 National Integrity Systems Country Study Report, Bangladesh Transparency International, Berlin, 2006, National Integrity Systems in South Asia Center for Policy Dialogue, CPD reveals 12-point agenda for CG to hold credible polls, Jan. 25, 2007, [ LINK ], Debapriya Bhattacharya, Clean Finance for Competent Candidates, Credible Elections, [ LINK ] Center for Governance Studies, BRAC University, Bangladesh, The State of Governance in Bangladesh 2006, Dhaka, Bangladesh, December 2006. PPRC Bangladesh Governance Report 2007, Unbundling Governance, March 2007
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| 21c: In practice, the limits on total party expenditures are effective in regulating a political party's ability to fund campaigns or politically-related activities. | ||||||||
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Comments: In Bangladesh, there is no legal framework for the corporate sector to make financial contributions to election campaigns. A study on Tracking the Election Process: An Analysis of the Violations of Electoral Code of Conduct by the Candidates of the Postponed Ninth Parliamentary Election in 2007 by Transparency International Bangladesh revealed that on an average each candidate spent more than 15 lakh 20,000 taka (US$29.1 million), whereas according to election law (RPO 1972) the election expenses have been limited to a maximum five lakh taka (US$7,278) for one candidate. References: Transparency International, Berlin, 2003 National Integrity Systems Country Study Report, Bangladesh Transparency International, Berlin, 2006, National Integrity Systems in South Asia Transparency International Bangladesh, Working paper on Bangladesh Election Commission Nov. 6, 2006 few articles on political party financing, published in Daily New Age, [ LINK ] Transparency International Bangladesh, Dhaka, 2007, Tracking the Election Process: An Analysis of the Violations of Electoral Code of Conduct by the Candidates of the Postponed Ninth Parliamentary Election [ LINK ]
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| 21d: In practice, when necessary, an agency or entity monitoring political financing independently initiates investigations. | ||||||||
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Comments: A report on the Bangladesh Election Commission conducted by Transparency International Bangladesh in November 2006 revealed that there is a serious lack of professionalism in terms of discharging the functions of the Election Commission. It is also revealed that in Bangladesh the personal expenditure reports are rarely submitted to the returning officers within the stipulated time but the returning officer(s) is neither under any legal obligation nor willing to bring that matter to the notice of the Election Commission or to the courts. In the 8th parliamentary election held in 2001no political party submitted its election expenses, but the Election Commission has not taken action against a single party. References: Transparency International, Berlin, National Integrity Systems Country Study Report, Bangladesh 2003 Transparency International, Berlin, 2006, National Integrity Systems in South Asia Transparency International Bangladesh, Working paper on Bangladesh Election Commission, Nov. 6, 2006, Center for Policy Dialogue, CPD reveals 12-point agenda for CG to hold credible polls, Jan. 25, 2007, [ LINK ], Debapriya Bhattacharya Clean Finance for Competent Candidates, Credible Elections, [ LINK ] Daily Ittefaq, April 24, 2006 (available only in Bengali)
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| 21e: In practice, when necessary, an agency or entity monitoring political financing imposes penalties on offenders. | ||||||||
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Comments: A report on the Bangladesh Election Commission conducted by Transparency International Bangladesh in November 2006 revealed that there is a serious lack of professionalism in terms of discharging the functions of the Election Commission. It is also revealed that in Bangladesh the personal expenditure reports are rarely submitted to the returning officers within the stipulated time but the returning officer(s) is neither under any legal obligation nor willing to bring that matter to the notice of the Election Commission or to the courts. In the 8th parliamentary election held in 2001no political party submitted its election expenses, but the Election Commission has not taken action against a single party. References: Transparency International Bangladesh, Working paper on Bangladesh Election Commission Nov. 6, 2006 Daily Ittefaq, April 24, 2006 To get a few articles on political rules and regulations and practices in Bangladesh, see: [ LINK ]
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| 21f: In practice, contributions to political parties and candidates are audited. | ||||||||
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Comments: In Bangladesh, no official reports or audits of campaign financing or expenditure are prepared by any independent institutions, nor are such reports presented to the Parliament. A report on the Bangladesh Election Commission conducted by Transparency International Bangladesh in November 2006 revealed that there is a serious lack of professionalism in terms of discharging the functions of the Election Commission. It is also revealed that in Bangladesh the personal expenditure reports are rarely submitted to the returning officers within the stipulated time but the returning officer(s) is neither under any legal obligation nor willing to bring that matter to the notice of the Election Commission or to the courts. In the 8th parliamentary election held in 2001no political party submitted its election expenses, but the Election Commission has not taken action against a single party. The report also mentioned that there has been no monitoring system of keeping accounts of the candidates election expenses. Nhe EC failed to identify a single candidate violating the election expenditure margin. References: Transparency International, Berlin, National Integrity Systems Country Study Report, Bangladesh 2003 Transparency International, Berlin, 2006, National Integrity Systems in South Asia Transparency International Bangladesh, Working paper on Bangladesh Election Commission, p-64, Nov. 6, 2006,
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| 22 | Can citizens access records related to political financing? | |||||||
| 22a: In practice, political parties and candidates disclose data relating to financial support and expenditures within a reasonable time period. | ||||||||
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Comments: Party candidates are required to file a 'return of election expenses' within 15 days of publication of the election results. With the reference of Fair Election Monitoring Alliance, Dhaka, June 2002, Transparency International, Berlin 2004, stated in the NIS Country Study Report, Bangladesh 2003 that only 74 candidates compiled with this requirements after the 2001 elections. (source: Transparency International, Berlin 2004, National Integrity System Country Study Report, Bangladesh 2003, p-36) References: Fair Election Monitoring Alliance, Dhaka, June 2002, Observation Report on Bangladesh Parliamentary Election, Oct.1, 2001. Transparency International, Berlin, National Integrity Systems Country Study Report, Bangladesh 2003
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| 22b: In practice, citizens can access the financial records of political parties and candidates within a reasonable time period. | ||||||||
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Comments: The Election Commission did not make public the statement containing information about the candidates' sources of election expenses. In the 1996 parliamentary elections, it was found that nearly 95 percent of the MPs did not submit the individulal expenditure reports to the EC. These findings, however, were never made public or even officially transmitted to other officials of EC. (source: Transparency International Bangladesh, Nov. 6, 2006, Working paper on Bangladesh Election Commission, p-95). References: Badiul Alam Majumdar Justice Will Not Be Denied Forever, Daily Star, May 7, 2006. Transparency International Bangladesh, Working paper on Bangladesh Election Commission Nov. 6, 2006,
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| 22c: In practice, citizens can access the financial records of political parties and candidates at a reasonable cost. | ||||||||
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Comments: The Election Commission did not make public the statement containing information about the candidates' sources of election expenses. In the 1996 parliamentary elections, it was found that nearly 95 percent of the MPs did not submit the individulal expenditure reports to the EC. These findings, however, were never made public or even officially transmitted to other officials of EC. (source: Transparency International Bangladesh, Nov. 6, 2006, Working paper on Bangladesh Election Commission, p-95). References: Transparency International Bangladesh, Working paper on Bangladesh Election Commission. Nov. 6, 2006, Badiul Alam Majumdar Justice Will Not Be Denied Forever, Daily Star, May 7, 2006 To get a few articles on political rules and regulations and practices in Bnagladesh: [ LINK ]
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