Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) – Commercial banks got poor response from loan-defaulter polls aspirants in rescheduling and repaying their dues as the deadline for updating their dues, set by the government, expired on Thursday.
Under the amended Representation of the People Order (RPO), any person willing to contest the elections requires paying his or her default loan and utility bills seven days before submission of nomination paper.
Accordingly, the deadline for clearing the dues expired Thursday as the last date for filing nomination papers for both elections has been extended to November 20 from November 13.
The Council of Advisers of the caretaker government amended the RPO giving the polls aspirants only seven days, instead of the earlier 15 days, to clear their default bank loans and outstanding utility bills.
Around 18 default loans were rescheduled by three state-owned commercial banks (SCBs) – Sonali, Janata and Agrani – until on Thursday, the last date for rescheduling and repayments, banks officials said.
At least six default loans were rescheduled by Sonali Bank Limited, around 10 by Agrani Bank Limited and only two by Janata Bank Limited, they confirmed.
The Election Commission (EC) earlier asked the commercial banks and non-banking financial institutions (NBFIs) to update their information about loan defaulters who might contest the ensuing elections.
As part of the move, the EC has sent a list of elected MPs from 1973 to 2001 to the banks and NBFIs to prepare a list of possible loan-defaulters who are likely to contest the next parliamentary and upazila elections.
BBN/SI/SSR/AD-14November08-3:38 PM (BST)
