Swapan Kumar singh :
The total cost of organising the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election along with the simultaneous referendum is expected to exceed Tk 31.5 billion, according to officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Election Commission (EC).
Of the total expenditure, nearly one-third will be financed from the current fiscal year’s “unforeseen expenditure” allocation, as the existing election budget has proven insufficient to cover the expanded scope of activities.
Sources said that Tk 20.8 billion had already been earmarked in the FY 2025–26 national budget for conducting the parliamentary election. However, the inclusion of the referendum, arrangements for postal ballots for expatriate voters, and additional voter awareness programmes have significantly increased overall costs.
As a result, the Election Commission sought an additional Tk 10.7 billion, which has since been approved by the government.
Officials said the extra funds will be released in phases from the Tk 40 billion unforeseen expenditure fund. An initial instalment of around Tk 2.67 billion has already been disbursed, while the remaining amount will be released gradually based on expenditure progress.
A summary prepared by the Finance Division noted that the existing budgetary allocation for the Election Commission is insufficient to absorb the additional costs, prompting the decision to draw funds from the unforeseen expenditure head.
The proposal recently received approval from Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed.
Commenting on the matter, the finance adviser said that despite ongoing economic pressures, there would be no financial constraints in ensuring a smooth election, assuring that the Election Commission would receive funds as required.
An expenditure breakdown shows that the largest share of the budget—approximately Tk 7.3 billion—has been allocated for daily allowances and honorariums for officials and employees involved in election duties. More than Tk 5 billion is expected to be spent on fuel and the use of government and hired vehicles.
Significant expenditures have also been projected for stationery supplies, printing, training, procurement of equipment, publicity campaigns, hospitality and other logistical needs.
Election Commission sources said that around 1.533 million expatriate voters from 123 countries have registered to cast their votes through postal ballots for the parliamentary election and referendum. The average cost per expatriate voter is estimated at Tk 700.
Additionally, as the referendum involves no candidates or electoral symbols, the Election Commission has had to launch separate voter awareness campaigns to clearly explain the process, further expanding the scope and cost of election activities.
Economist and CPD Distinguished Fellow Dr Mustafizur Rahman said that allocating sufficient funds for a credible and fair election is reasonable, but emphasised that transparency, quality and accountability must be strictly ensured given the scale of expenditure.
Notably, election costs have risen sharply over the years. The 12th parliamentary election in 2024 cost around Tk 22.76 billion, while allocations stood at approximately Tk 7 billion for the 11th election in 2018 and about Tk 1.65 billion for the 9th election in 2008.
Election officials attribute the rising costs to increased administrative demands, greater use of technology, and rising prices of materials and services over time.
