EC outlay lower than last election year

Although the national parliamentary election is slated to be held within June next year, the allocation for the Election Commission (EC) in the proposed budget for fiscal year 2025-26 has been set at Tk 2,956 crore — significantly lower than what was spent in the previous election year.

In the 2023-24 fiscal year, when the 12th parliamentary election was held, actual expenditure stood at Tk 4,190 crore — Tk 1,234 crore more than the newly proposed budget.

The original allocation for the EC that fiscal year was Tk 2,406 crore, but it was later revised upwards to accommodate poll-related expenses.

EC officials said the interim government may need to revise its budget again if it goes ahead with plans to hold a national parliamentary election by June.

"The money allocated by the government will be spent on the election. If more is needed, the government will provide it again. There's no problem," Election Commission Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said yesterday when asked whether any revisions to the allocation would be necessary if the elections are staged next year.

"A budget is just a projection, an estimate. If conducting the election requires more funds, so be it. And if it costs less, the remaining money will be returned," he added.

Of the proposed amount, Tk 2,727 crore has been earmarked for the revenue budget and Tk 229 crore for development activities.

In comparison, the EC's allocation in the last fiscal year was Tk 1,230 crore, which was later revised down slightly to Tk 1,142 crore.

Unveiling the Tk 790,000 crore national budget for FY26 on Sunday, Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed said one of the key goals of the current administration is to ensure a free and fair election and restore the people's right to vote.

"Over the past one and a half decades, the country's electoral system has been completely dismantled," he said in his budget speech.

"Therefore, we have given the highest priority to reforming the electoral system and have undertaken initiatives to amend and revise various laws, policies, and orders to that end."

A total of Tk 1,927 crore was spent on the 12th national election — double the expenditure for the 11th polls held in 2018, according to a report from the Electoral Reform Commission.

In contrast, the 10th parliamentary election in 2014, where 153 candidates were elected unopposed, cost the state Tk 282 crore.