Dhaka: BNP spent a total of Tk 3.53 crore, around Tk 56 lakh more than what it earned, in 2014, according to the audit report the party submitted to the Election Commission on Monday.

As per the audit report on its annual financial transactions, the party earned Tk 2.87 crore in the last calendar year. The extra amount was spent from the money deposited in the bank account in the previous years, the audit report said.

A four-member BNP delegation, led by its assistant office secretary Asadul Karim Shahin, handed over the 2014 audit report to EC Secretary Sirazul Islam at the latter’s office at about 11:30am.

 ‘We’ve submitted the audit report on BNP’s financial transactions from January to December 2014,’ chartered accountant AKM Aminul Haque, a member of the delegation, told reporters after submitting the report.

He said donation, party members’ monthly subscriptions and money came from the sale of membership forms were shown as the sources of the money it got while conveyance, office staff salary, office maintenance cost and iftar parties and other programmes as the heads of expenditure.

As per the law, the deadline for submission of the audit report on financial transaction of the previous calendar expired on every 31 July. But, the EC extended time till 31 August for nine political parties, including ruling Awami League and BNP, following their requests.

Out of 40 registered political parties, 25 parties submitted their audited statements on their financial transactions in the last calendar year within the deadline.

But the commission turned down the audit reports of 22 political parties as they failed to follow the due process as per the law.

The EC also asked the 22 parties to submit again their audit reports by August 31 with proper signatures and seals.

However, the remaining six parties did not contact the commission over the submission of their audit reports.

According to the Political Parties Registration Rules 2008, a party has to get its total transactions on a calendar year audited by a chartered accounting firm and submit a copy of the firm’s report to the commission by 31 July of the subsequent year.

As per the law, the registration of a political party may be cancelled if it fails to submit the audit report in time for three consecutive years.