The Election Commission has called for applications from political parties seeking registration ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
In a public notice issued on Monday, the EC announced that political parties wishing to be registered under the Representation of the People Order, 1972, must meet the requirements set out in the Political Party Registration Rules, 2008.
The deadline for submitting applications is April 20, said the notice signed by the EC senior secretary Akhter Hossain.
According to the notice, to apply for registration, political parties must submit their applications on official letter-headed paper, along with a range of required documents, including the party constitution, election manifesto if available, and any other relevant party rules.
Additionally, applicants must provide images of the party鈥檚 logo and flag, along with a list of all central executive committee members and their respective designations.
The bank account details, including the account number and name of the bank in the party鈥檚 name, must also be included, along with the current status of the account.
The application must also include information on the party鈥檚 sources of funds, as well as a power of attorney authorising an individual to submit the registration application on behalf of the party.
A non-refundable registration fee of Tk 5,000 must be attached to the application.
The EC further said that to qualify for registration, political parties must provide documented evidence of meeting at least one of the following conditions: proof of winning at least one parliamentary seat in any election held since Bangladesh鈥檚 independence, an authorised officer confirming that the party secured at least five per cent of the votes in constituencies contested in any parliamentary elections since independence, or evidence of an active central committee, a functioning central office, district offices in at least one-third of administrative districts, operational offices in at least 100 upazilas or metropolitan thanas or at least 200 registered party members in these areas.
Once the Election Commission decides to register a political party, it would issue a registration certificate in Form-3 and publish the name of the newly registered party in the official government gazette.
EC officials said that the country had now 48 registered political parties.
