Bangladesh News

For the first time in the country’s history, tax and wealth statements, and police records of people’s representatives elected to city corporations and municipalities will be checked by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the police department.

Informed by different sources that some of the officials-elect either submitted false information or concealed correct information, the Election Commission (EC) at a meeting on Sunday decided to launch the investigation, sources in the commission said.

All sorts of documents submitted during the electoral process by the newly elected local government officials will be sent to the NBR and to the office of inspector general of police (IGP) for scrutiny, the sources said.

According to the electoral rules, candidature of an elected representative to city corporations and municipalities might be cancelled if the representative had submitted false information or suppressed any information regarding financial matters.

If the candidature of a mayor or councillor elect is cancelled, his or her election to the post will automatically be cancelled even after taking the oath of office, senior officials in the EC Secretariat said.

The rules also have a provision of filing criminal cases with courts instead, against any elected representative, if the person is accused of violating electoral rules.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda already declared that legal actions will be taken against violators of electoral rules, even if they are elected.

Upon directives from the EC, its secretariat yesterday completed all preparations to send relevant documents to the NBR and to the office of IGP today, the sources said.

The EC in its draft letter, to be sent to the NBR and IGP today, sought separate opinions on each of the elected officials, after scrutiny of their records that fall under the jurisdictions of the two government authorities.

Candidates who contested in the August 4 city corporation and municipality polls had submitted to returning officers, statements on probable sources of their election funds, their assets and liabilities, annual incomes and expenditures, copies of their last income-tax returns if they are income tax payers, their professions, their police records, etc.

Although all candidates had submitted the required affidavits, the EC however decided only to investigate the allegations raised against the winners.

Four mayors and 157 councillors were elected in the four city corporations, and nine mayors and 108 councillors were elected in the nine municipalities. Most of the winners are grassroots level leaders of different political parties.

OFFICIAL RESULTS LIKELY TODAY
Meanwhile, the EC is likely to publish the results of the polls through official gazettes today. The mayors and councillors elect will have to take their oaths of office within 30 days of the gazettes’ publication.

Awami League (AL) backed mayors and councillors elect in the city corporations however are preparing to file legal challenges against the new electoral rules that require the winners to resign from their party posts before taking the oaths of office.

But they will have to resign from the posts to take the oaths if they fail to win the legal battles within the timeframe of stipulated 30 days, legal experts said.

ELECTION TRIBUNALS FORMED
Asked by the EC, the law, justice and parliamentary affairs ministry yesterday constituted 13 election tribunals in the electoral areas where the polls were held on August 4.

Four joint district judges of Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet were appointed as judges of respective tribunals to adjudicate electoral disputes in the four city corporations.

Nine joint district judges of Gazipur, Mymensingh, Bogra, Sylhet, Rajshahi, Chittagong, Manikganj, Shariatpur and Chuadanga were appointed as judges of the tribunals for respective municipalities.

Candidates who contested in the four city corporation and nine municipality polls or their election agents or any person authorised by them may file petitions challenging the election results within 30 days of publication of the results in official gazettes.

The election tribunals will adjudicate the petitions received by it within 180 days of filing.