Govt requests EC to probe BNP’s lobbyist expenses

The government has requested the Election Commission to probe whether BNP had shown the expenditure of appointing lobbyist firms abroad in their annual financial report.

State minister for foreign affairs Shahriar Alam sent a letter to the EC requesting them to take necessary actions in this regard.

"We have received the letter two days back. It will be placed at the Election Commission meeting on February 3 for review. We will take steps in line with that," EC Secretary Humayun Kabir Khandaker told The Daily Star yesterday.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on January 26 told parliament that BNP and Jamaat had appointed eight lobbyist firms to ensure that the US stops providing aid and development assistance to Bangladesh. He also said the government has proof that BNP, through appointing lobbyists, was linked to the slapping of the recent sanctions on Rab.