Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami recorded the highest income among 29 registered political parties that submitted their 2024 audit reports to the Election Commission (EC).
According to the statements submitted, Jamaat earned Tk28.97 crore and spent Tk23.73 crore in 2024, surpassing BNP and the Jatiyo Party.
The BNP reported an income of Tk15.65 crore and expenditure of Tk4.80 crore, while the Jatiyo Party showed an income of Tk2.64 crore and expenditure of Tk1.79 crore.
Jamaat’s financial statement, signed by its Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar, listed major income sources as subscriptions from members and committees (Tk16.94 crore), donations from individuals and organisations (Tk11.86 crore), and sales of publications (Tk9.11 lakh).
Expenditure included salaries and allowances (Tk6.57 crore), grants to candidates (Tk11.05 crore), transport and propaganda costs (Tk2.70 crore), and special religious events (Tk32.76 lakh). The party stated it does not maintain a bank account.
This is the first time Jamaat has submitted such a statement since its registration was cancelled in 2013. It regained registration after the July 2024 uprising.
The BNP’s income came from executive committee subscriptions, book sales, donations, bank interest and other sources, said Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
Expenditure included grants, relief work, printing, event costs and other official expenses. Rizvi said the party ended the year with a surplus of Tk10.85 crore, deposited in its bank account.
Under the Representation of the People Order, parties must submit their previous year’s accounts to the EC by 31 July or risk deregistration after three consecutive failures.
Of the 50 parties asked to submit reports this year, 29 complied within the deadline, 10 sought extensions, and 11 failed to submit.
BNP reports Tk15.65cr income, Tk4.8cr spending in 2024
BNP earned Tk15,65,94,842 and spent Tk4,80,04,820 in 2024, according to the party’s annual income and expenditure accounts submitted to the Election Commission (EC).
The party’s 2024 earnings were significantly higher than in 2022, when it reported an income of Tk5,92,04,632 and expenditure of Tk3,88,33,803.
According to accounts submitted to EC, BNP is running behind Jamaat, which topped the earning chart with Tk28.97 crore income.
A BNP delegation led by Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi went to the Election Building in Dhaka’s Agargaon to submit the report on 27 July.
Later speaking to journalists, Rizvi said the party ended the year with a surplus of Tk10,85,90,019, which remains deposited in its bank account.
He said the BNP’s income sources included monthly subscriptions from members of the national executive committee, sales of books, donations from individuals and organisations, and interest earned from bank deposits.
According to him, expenditure during the year covered a range of activities, including financial grants to individuals, relief distribution in flood-affected areas, printing posters and leaflets, renting halls for meetings, producing official supplements, hosting Iftar programmes during Ramadan, and other operational costs.
Notably, as per the Representation of the People Order (RPO), all registered political parties must submit accounts of their previous year’s income and expenditure to the EC by 31 July.
Failure to do so for three consecutive years can lead to the cancellation of a party’s registration.
This year, 29 registered political parties, including the BNP, submitted their 2024 accounts within the deadline. Ten parties applied for an extension, while 11 failed to submit on time.
Currently, the EC has 51 registered political parties, though the Awami League’s registration is suspended, meaning it was not required to file an account