The Election Commission is set to file cases against 12 candidates of the 10th Parliamentary Elections, including Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad and Awami League lawmaker Hasibur Rahman, for not submitting their election expenditure returns in due time.
Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad yesterday said the commission had already asked concerned returning officer to file cases against those who did not submit their election expenditure return to the commission.
The returning officer will file cases against those who failed to submit their election expenditure return within 30 days of the gazette notification was published.
The rest of the candidates in the list include Jatiya Party candidates Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman Mahmud (Lakshmipur 1), Belal Hossain (Lakshmipur 4) and Safikur Rahman (Comilla 5), Jatiya Party-Manju candidates Joynal Abedin (Barisal 4) and Abul Hasnat Gofran (Sirajganj 5), JSD candidate SM Abdur Razzak (Sherpur 3) and BNF candidate Mohammad Ashraf Hossain (Sunamganj 1) and three independent candidates Syed Rafiqul Haque (Sunamganj 1), Hedayatul Islam (Sherpur 3) and AKM Sharifuddin (Lakshmipur 4).
According to the Representation of the People Order (RPO), contesting candidates or their agents must submit the polls expenditure returns to their respective returning officers within the stipulated time. The law also states that any violation of the order was subjected to a punishment of 2-7 years in imprisonment, fine or both.
Ershad, who is also the special envoy of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, did not submit the election expenditure return to the retuning officer in due time after contesting in the parliamentary elections from Lalmonirhat-1 constituency.
Awami League lawmaker Hasibur Rahman elected from Sirajganj-6 but did not submit the polls expenditure return to the returning officer.
EC Deputy Secretary Mihir Sarwar Morshed said the commission asked the concerned returning officer to inform the commission for taking action against them by April 30.
When contacted, Returning Officer and Deputy Commissioner Habibur Rahman confirmed that Ershad’s election expenditure return had not reached his office.
Sirajganj Returning officer Billal Hossain said Awami League lawmaker Hasibur Rahman and Jatiya Party candidate Abul Hasnat Gofran did not submit their election expenditure return.
A total of 543 candidates contested the 10th Parliamentary Polls held on January 5 where 152 candidates were elected uncontested.
