Ahead of Bangladesh’s 13th parliamentary election, the Election Commission (EC) has fixed the maximum campaign spending limit for candidates at 10 taka per voter. Due to large variations in voter numbers across constituencies, the permissible spending differs sharply. For example, candidates in Gazipur-2 can legally spend over 8 million taka, while those in Jhalakathi-1 are limited to 2.5 million taka. EC data show that the country currently has about 127.7 million voters, with Gazipur-2 having the highest and Jhalakathi-1 the lowest voter counts.
Experts have questioned whether the spending limits are realistic or enforced in practice. Dr. Badiul Alam Majumdar of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SUJAN) said that although limits exist on paper, they have little reflection in reality, as money dominates elections. Former election commissioner Brigadier General (Retd.) M Sakhawat Hossain noted that the EC lacks a strong mechanism to verify candidates’ expense declarations, allowing many to exceed limits without consequence.
The EC Secretariat explained that voter disparities stem from urban migration and administrative boundaries. Under the Representation of the People Order, violating spending limits can lead to up to seven years in prison. A total of 2,582 candidates from 51 of 59 registered parties are contesting this election.
গাজী শাহনেওয়াজ প্রকাশ : ০৮ জানুয়ারি ২০২৬, ০৯: ৫১আপডেট : ০৮ জানুয়ারি ২০২৬, ১০: ৩৫ গাজী শাহনেওয়াজ ত্রয়োদশ সংসদ নির্বাচন সামনে রেখে প্রার্থীদের নির্বাচনি ব্যয়ের সীমা নির্ধারণ করে দিয়েছে নির্বাচন কমিশন (ইসি)। বিধি অনুযায়ী, একজন প্রার্থী ভোটারপ্রতি সর
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