DHAKA: The High Court (HC) asked the Election Commission (EC) to provide annual financial reports submitted by political parties following the appeal of any citizen without taking consent of the party concerned.

A High Court bench Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Kazi Izarul Huq Akand on Thursday (February 18) passed the order after final hearing of a writ petition.

Dr Sharif Bhuiyan and barrister Tanim Hossain moved for the petition.

Deputy attorney general Amatul Karim stood for the Information Commission (IC) while advocate Tawhidul Islam moved for the EC.

Dr Sharif Bhuiyan told banglanews that after the HC verdict, there will be no need of consent from registered political parties in providing their financial statement to citizen.

On June 12, 2013, Sushashaner Jonno Nagarik (Sujon) secretary Dr Badiul Alam Mazumder applied to the EC seeking yearly financial statement of registered political parties under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

Then, the EC asked him to collect the statements from party concerned.

Later he appealed to the IC. After completing different process, the IC issued an order on July 16, 2014 that statement would not be provided without consent of the party concerned.

After then that Badiul Alam Mazumder and five others filed a writ petition challenging the legality of the order of IC.

BDST: 1411 HRS, FEB 18, 2016
RS/RR