AL’s income falls by 51% in 2020

The income of ruling Awami League in 2020 was about Tk 10.33 crore, 51 per cent down from that of 2019, according to its audited financial statement submitted to the Election Commission on Sunday.

However, the AL’s expenditures increased by Tk 1.73 crore in 2020, compared to that of the previous year.

The AL’s total income was Tk 10,33,43,33 in 2020, which was over Tk 21 crore in 2019.

An AL team, led by its publicity and publication secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap, MP, handed over the financial statement of the 2020 calendar year to EC Secretary Md Humayun Kabir Khandaker at Nirbachan Bhaban in the city.

Later, Abdus Sobhan Golap told reporters that their party’s income largely came from the subscriptions of its members, sale of nomination forms and donations from various individuals and organisations.

In 2020, the income declined as it earned less from the sale of nomination forms, and there was no income from the triennial council of the party in 2019, he said. AL spent Tk 9,94,49,931 (Tk 9.94 crore) in the calendar year, Tk 1,73,48,356 more than it spent in 2019.

The expenditures went up for conducting relief activities amid the Covid-19 pandemic, providing donations to party-nominated candidates in different elections and the rise in the expenses against different publications.

AL office secretary and Prime Minister’s special assistant Barrister Biplab Barua and deputy office secretary Sayem Khan were other members of the AL team.

On Thursday, BNP submitted its 2020 financial statement before the Election Commission. The income of BNP was Tk 1.23 crore and expenditure was Tk 1.75 crore in 2020. The additional expenditure was met from its previous fund.

As per the law, each registered political party is obliged to submit the financial statement of the previous calendar year by July 31, but the Election Commission extended the deadline by one month.