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Jamaat-e-Islami emerged as the highest-spending political party in Bangladesh’s 13th parliamentary election, reporting campaign expenses of nearly Tk 44.95 million, while 28 registered political parties declared zero election-related expenditure despite fielding candidates.
The information was released by the Election Commission (EC) on Thursday as part of the financial disclosures submitted by participating political parties.
The EC published the total campaign expenditure of 49 political parties on its website on July 26, although it did not provide a detailed breakdown of spending by category.
According to the EC, 50 political parties contested the 13th national election.
The ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which fielded the highest number of candidates—288—reported spending Tk 38.09 million during the election campaign.
Jamaat-e-Islami, which nominated 224 candidates, reported the highest overall expenditure at Tk 44.95 million.
The National Citizen Party (NCP), making its electoral debut with 32 candidates, reported campaign expenses of Tk 1.28 million.
Among other major parties, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, which fielded 253 candidates, declared spending Tk 3.37 million, while the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), with 65 candidates, reported expenses of Tk 2.10 million.
The Jatiya Party (Ershad), which nominated 192 candidates, reported spending Tk 505,000. The Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), with 26 candidates, declared expenses of Tk 335,000, while the Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BASAD), which fielded 39 candidates, reported spending Tk 276,000.
Other parties also reported relatively modest expenditures. The AB Party, with 30 candidates, spent Tk 1.78 million, while Gono Odhikar Parishad, which nominated 90 candidates, reported Tk 810,000 in campaign expenses. Bangladesh Nezame Islam Party declared spending Tk 2.02 million after fielding 28 candidates.
Several smaller parties reported minimal campaign costs. Jatiya Party (JP), which fielded 10 candidates, spent only Tk 18,875, while Bangladesh Muslim League (BML), with six candidates, reported expenses of just Tk 3,000.
The EC data also showed that 28 political parties submitted financial statements declaring no campaign expenditure at all, despite participating in the election.
The parties reporting zero expenditure include the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Zaker Party, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, Bangladesh Muslim League, National People’s Party (NPP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh, Gono Forum, Gono Front, Bangladesh National Awami Party (NAP), Bangladesh Kalyan Party, Islami Oikya Jote, Jagpa, Bangladesh Revolutionary Workers Party, Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF), National Democratic Movement (NDM), Bangladesh Congress, Insaniyat Biplob Bangladesh, Bangladesh Supreme Party (BSP), Nagorik Oikya, Ganosamhati Andolan, Bangladesh Development Party (BDP), Bangladesh Minority Janata Party, Bangladesh Labour Party, Bangladesh Republican Party (BRP), Janatar Dal, Bangladesh Equal Rights Party (BEP), Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) and several others.
According to the Election Commission, these parties officially reported their total organisational election expenditure as zero in the financial statements submitted after the parliamentary election. The commission noted that some expenditure reports submitted after the deadline were not included in the published list.