The cost of entertainment for foreign observers is crores of money to show January 7 poll
Photo: Collected
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has spent nearly crores of takas on entertaining foreign observers to show their votes in the 12th Jatiya Sangsad(JS) elections that ended on January 7. The Election Monitoring Coordination Cell of the Ministry of External Affairs has already written to the Election Commission asking for the money spent. No exact information was available on how long these election observers stayed in the country.
Meanwhile, the two sides differed on how many foreign observers were at the government's expense. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said there are more than 40 people on this list. And the Election Commission said that 19 foreign observers came to the country at the expense of the government and the Election Commission will not bear this cost.
In a letter recently sent to the Election Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Tk. 98 lakh 61 thousand 755 was spent on hotel accommodation, hospitality, control and briefing room, travel and entertainment of the foreign election observation team that arrived on the occasion of the parliamentary elections on January 7.
According to the ministry, Tk. 7 lakh 95 thousand 974 was spent on accommodation and hospitality of the foreign observers at the five-star hotel Inter Continental. At this time, Tk. 15 lakh 14 thousand 424 was spent on the construction of control room, briefing room and media room and food in the hotel. At the same time, the cost of providing food from the hotel to these guests at the Balaka Lounge of the airport is Tk. 1 lakh 80 thousand 665.
Meanwhile, two cars were rented for the foreign observers during their stay in Bangladesh. Tk. 41 lakh 34 thousand 313 has been spent in this case. Also, Tk. 56 thousand 390 has been spent on local air travel. Office and other expenses are Tk. 3 lakh 17 thousand 881.
72 officials of the Ministry of Public Administration and Foreign Affairs were appointed from December 26 last year to January 10 this year to assist the foreign observers who came to watch the election. Tk. 22 lakh 50 thousand 108 was spent on food, training, inter-ministerial meeting and entertainment of these responsible officers and employees. At the same time 72 people were paid Tk. 6 lakh 12 thousand based on daily attendance.
Meanwhile, according to EC sources, a total of 168 foreign journalists and observers from various organizations came to the 12th JS election. There, most journalists and organizations monitor elections at their own expense. But the expenses of those who came on the invitation of the government and EC are borne by the government of Bangladesh. Among them, the government bears the cost of 19 foreign observers. This list includes 3 people from China, 3 people from India, 2 people from Mauritius, 3 people from Russia, 2 people from Sri Lanka, 3 people from Uzbekistan and 3 people from OIC.
According to EC sources, the list of approved foreign observers included - 4 from European Union, 12 from US, IRI and NDI, 6 from South Asia Democratic Forum (SADF), 1 from South Korea's HL Group, 2 from SNAS Africa, 2 from Muslim Commission Nepal, 2 from US Birney Law PLLC 1, Africa House London 2, B Strategic Partners (British) 1, International Development Cooperation Organization (Japan) 1, Mutash Create Research (Japan) 1, Election Monitoring Forum (India) 1, Shringalkar Member of Parliament 1 and 168 people, including an Australian researcher and a US citizen from the Election Monitoring Forum.
Ferdousi Shahriar, head of the Election Monitoring Coordination Cell of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Barta24.com that 168 foreign observers came to the country on the invitation of the Election Commission and the government. A large part of them observed the election at their own expense. There were also about 40 invited guests, whose time spent in Bangladesh was borne by the government.
She also said that the sector-wise expenditure of the foreign observers during their stay in Bangladesh has been sent to the Election Commission. The Election Commission will bear this cost.
Regarding the entertainment bill, Election Commission Secretariat Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath told Barta24.com that a bill for the entertainment expenses of the foreign observers has been sent from the ministry. We saw that. We will not bear the cost of foreign observers in the election. It will be borne by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
