Bangladesh party seeks funding to curb corruption

DHAKA, May 23 (Reuters) One of Bangladesh's biggest political parties, the Awami League, has asked the army-backed interim government to provide it with funds to help fight corruption within its ranks.

''We should be given money by the government to run party affairs if we need to stamp out the use and influence of black money in the party,'' Awami general secretary Abdul Jalil told reporters late yesterday.

he government has repeatedly told political parties that they must get rid of corrupt party leaders -- especially those who buy their way to becoming election candidates and pay for votes.

The government has not yet responded to Jalil's proposal.

Jalil said earlier that the Awami League would bar corrupt politicians from contesting the coming election only if other parties agreed to do so.

An election planned for January 22 was cancelled after the government imposed a state of emergency in the wake of widespread political violence.

The caretaker authority, headed by former central bank chief Fakhruddin Ahmed, has said it is now preparing to hold elections before the end of 2008.

Security forces have detained more than 160 senior political leaders in the army-led anti-corruption drive, including former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia's son, Tareque Rahman.

REUTERS SM VV1209