The High Court on Thursday asked the Election Commission to disclose the income and expense statements of all political parties registered with it to citizens on requirement.
A two-member bench comprising justice Farah Mahbub and justice Kazi M Ejarul Haque Akondo came up with the verdict after the hearing of a writ petition.
The bench also said the commission does not need to take the permission of political parties to disclose their income-expenditure statements.
Tanim Hossain Shaon and Sharif Bhuiyan stood for the petitioner while deputy attorney general Amatul Karim argued for the Information Commission and advocate Towhidul Islam stood for the EC.
Earlier on 2014, Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Sujan) secretary Badiul Alam Majumder appealed to the EC, seeking the income-expenditure statements of all registered political parties.
The EC however denied disclosing the statements.
Later, Badiul Alam went to the Information Commission and sought the same information when the Information Commission also denied giving any information related to the income-expenditure of the political parties.
Following this, Badiul Alam Majumder, Sujan president M Hafizuddin Khan, former inspector general of police ASM Shahjahan, columnist Abul Maksud, professor Tofail Ahmed and former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Majumder filed the writ petition to the HC challenging the decision of the Information Commission. – UNB
