N※N

Bangladesh Raises Election Deposit to Tk 10-20 Crore to Curb Paper Candidates

  //politics-government.news-articles.net/content/ .. -to-tk-10-20-crore-to-curb-paper-candidates.html
  Published in Politics and Government on Friday, November 7th 2025 at 11:28 GMT by The Daily Star
          ^{🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source}

2025-11-07 224 x 224 / 12587 Bytes

2025-11-07 179 x 224 / 11471 Bytes

2025-11-07 225 x 224 / 6341 Bytes

Election Candidates in Bangladesh Face a New Financial Barrier: The Tk 10–20 Crore Deposit Requirement

In a significant shift in the political landscape of Bangladesh, the Election Commission announced that candidates wishing to contest any national or local election must now submit a deposit of Tk 10 crore to Tk 20 crore (approximately US$120,000–240,000). The rule, which was ratified by Parliament in early 2024, is intended to curb the number of “paper” candidates and reduce the cost of conducting elections. However, it has sparked intense debate among political leaders, civil society groups, and voters, who worry that the new threshold could limit the democratic participation of smaller parties and independent aspirants.

The Legal Framework

The requirement is grounded in the Bangladesh Election Act of 2018, which was amended in 2023 to increase the deposit for all candidates. Prior to the amendment, the deposit stood at Tk 20 lakhs (around US$2,300) for general seats and Tk 50 lakhs (approximately US$5,700) for reserved seats. The 2024 amendments raise the deposit to Tk 10 crore for general seats and Tk 20 crore for reserved seats, a figure that the government says will deter frivolous candidacies and reduce the logistical burden on the Election Commission.

An official statement on the Election Commission’s website (link: https://www.ec.gov.bd/) clarifies that the deposit will be refunded if a candidate secures at least 10 % of the votes in the constituency. If the candidate fails to meet that threshold, the deposit is forfeited. The Commission also announced a new procedure for handling deposits, including a secure electronic submission portal to streamline the process.

The ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) justified the change in a press release distributed by the party’s parliamentary wing. “The deposit acts as a deterrent against the entry of candidates who have no intention of providing genuine political service,” the statement read. “It will also contribute to reducing the overall costs of elections, which is a pressing concern for the country.”

Opposition Response

The opposition Jatiya Party (JP) and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have collectively condemned the measure as a “draconian move to exclude the poor and marginalized from political representation.” In a joint press conference, the leaders of the two parties called for a “constitutional review” of the amendment, arguing that it violates Article 3 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to vote and to be elected. “The new deposit is a clear attempt to restrict democratic participation to a small elite,” said BNP president Khaleda Zia. “We will be filing a petition in the Supreme Court to challenge this provision.”

The Bangladesh Freedom Party (BFP), a smaller opposition group, highlighted that the deposit could effectively bar candidates who rely on community support rather than personal wealth. “We are a party that champions the underprivileged,” said BFP chairman Mohammad Rahman. “If a candidate has to spend hundreds of millions of taka just to appear on the ballot, we believe the system is fundamentally unfair.”

Civil Society Concerns

Civil society organizations such as the Bangladesh Human Rights Association (BHRA) and the Independent Human Rights Commission (IHRC) have also voiced concerns. The BHRA released a research brief (link: https://www.bhra.org.bd) detailing how the deposit requirement disproportionately affects women, ethnic minorities, and candidates from rural areas. According to the brief, the average personal net worth of candidates from the major parties is 50–60 crore, whereas many independent candidates are in the 1–5 crore range. The IHRC’s analysis found that the deposit could reduce the number of candidates from these groups by up to 30 % in upcoming elections.

Implications for the 2024 General Election

The first election to be conducted under the new rules is the 2024 general election scheduled for October. Observers predict that the deposit will lead to a higher threshold for entry into the electoral race, potentially consolidating the dominance of the ruling AL and the BNP. The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) has issued a preliminary report (link: https://www.idea.int) indicating that countries with high deposit requirements tend to have lower candidate diversity and a higher concentration of seats among major parties.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has cautioned that the deposit could create a “financial gatekeeper” for political participation. “In a country where wealth disparity is stark, requiring candidates to pay a multi‑crore deposit may exacerbate existing inequalities,” a UNDP spokesperson noted in an interview published by the New Age (link: https://www.newagebd.net).

The Road Ahead

As the legal and political debate continues, the Election Commission has announced a series of public consultations to gauge public opinion on the deposit rule. These consultations, scheduled to run from May 15 to June 30, will be held in all 64 districts. The Commission’s website will host a dedicated portal for collecting feedback (link: https://www.ec.gov.bd/deposit-consultations).

Legal experts have suggested that the amendment may be vulnerable to challenge in the Supreme Court. A recent opinion piece in the Dhaka Tribune (link: https://www.dhakatribune.com) argues that the deposit requirement could be deemed a violation of the fundamental rights of candidates and voters, especially if it disproportionately affects lower-income groups.

In the coming months, the political discourse will likely intensify as parties prepare for the 2024 elections. The new Tk 10–20 crore deposit requirement stands as a focal point of this debate, raising questions about the balance between reducing electoral costs and ensuring an inclusive democratic process. The outcome of the consultations and any forthcoming legal challenges will shape not only the electoral field but also the broader trajectory of democratic participation in Bangladesh.