The income and wealth of public representatives participating in the ongoing upazila elections and their dependants increased manifolds in five years, according to Transparency International Bangladesh.
Tenure in office is associated with a rapid increase in income and wealth, observed TIB.
According to TIB, there is unhealthy competition among candidates aspiring for public office, who view it as an opportunity to amass income and assets.
Ahead of the upazila parishad second phase polls, TIB revealed a report in a press conference on Sunday at its office in Dhaka by analysing the affidavits of candidates submitted to the Election Commission.
TIB found that the movable assets of a chairman candidate in the second phase of polls increased by 11,666 per cent while the income of a female vice-chairman increased by 10,900 per cent in five years.
In the first phase, TIB found the maximum increase of an upazila parishad chairman candidate was up to 4,200 per cent, while the movable wealth of MP candidates in the January 7 polls increased by a maximum 3,065 per cent in five years.
According to the TIB report, the movable assets of Jhalakati Sadar upazila chairman, Khan Arifur Rahman, who is seeking re-election, have increased from Tk 15 lakh in 2019 to Tk 17.53 crore in 2024—an increase of 11,666 per cent in his five-year tenure.
The immovable wealth of Kishoreganj’s Aushtagram upazila chairman Shahidul Islam increased from Tk 5 lakh to Tk 2.70 crore [5,294 per cent], the liquid assets of Chitalmari upazila vice-chairman SM Mahtabuzzman increased from only Tk 4 lakh to Tk 1.93 crore [4,437 per cent], Gaibandha’s Fulchhari upazila chairman GM Selim Parvaj’s assets increased from Tk 3 lakh to Tk 1.37 crore [4,251 per cent].
Apart from this, the immovable assets of Nikli upazila chairman AM Ruhul Quddus Bhuyan of Kishoreganj increased by 3,700 per cent, Daulatkhan upazila women vice-chairman Ainun Nahar Renu Begum’s 2,939 per cent, Bishwambharpur upazila vice-chairman Tazzat Ali Khan’s 2,275 per cent, Salikha upazila women vice-chairman Jesmin Aktar’s 2,250 per cent and Dasmin upazila chairman Md Abdul Aziz’s 2,157 per cent.
The income of the upazila chairman, vice chairman, and women vice-chairman also increased manifolds in the past five years. Sonali Khatun, the female vice-chairman candidate of Daulatpur in Kushtia by 10,900 per cent, Thakurgaon sadar upazila vice-chairman Abdur Rashid’s 10,866 per cent, Chatmohar upazila women vice-chairman Firoza Parven’s 8531 per cent.
The income of the dependants of the upazila parisahd chairman, vice-chairman and women vice-chairman also increased, as Rajbari’s Pansha upazila chairman Md Farid Hasan’s dependants’ income increased up to 12,400 per cent, and Nesarabad upazila chairman Abdul Haque’s dependants’ income increased by 8,968 per cent.
According to TIB findings, incumbent public representatives experienced a marked increase in income and assets over the past five years compared to new candidates.
This pattern suggests a direct correlation between holding political office and wealth accumulation, it said.
An analysis of the last decade’s elections showed that incumbent candidates exhibited substantial growth in both income (540.68 per cent on average) and movable assets (211.98 per cent).
Conversely, first-time candidates experienced a 56.47 per cent uptick in income while observing a decrease of 45.44 per cent in movable assets over the same period.
On average, incumbent candidates saw their income rise by 140.61 per cent over the past five years, whereas new candidates witnessed a 77.44 per cent increase.
The analysis revealed a similar trend in movable assets, with incumbent candidates averaging a 231.62 per cent increase and new candidates showing a 100.33 per cent rise.
Not only did the candidates enhance their own financial standings, but their spouses and dependants also showcased similar upward trajectories in income and assets.
TIB executive director Iftekharuzzaman said that abnormal growth in the the immovable wealth of the public representatives had been observed when analysing the affidavits of candidates.
‘There appears to be a link between growth of wealth and politics and there is a direct correlation of politics with increasing power and income,’ he said.
‘Businessmen consider the election an investment, while the people›s representatives see their position as a means of income and wealth development, as the public interest is not prioritised,’ he said.
The TIB report also said that businesspersons continue to dominate the list of candidates contesting the upazila parishad elections, as more than 57 per cent of the total aspirants are businesspeople.
Of the candidates vying for the chairman post, 70.51 per cent are business people, while 68.73 per cent of the vice-chairman candidates listed business as their profession.
The second highest mentioned occupation is agriculture (12.17 per cent), while 4.17 per cent said they are lawyers and 4.17 per cent are teachers.
At least 52 per cent of the women vice-chairman candidates said they are homemakers, while 29 per cent said they are businesswomen.
A total of 105 chairman candidates have movable assets worth at least Tk 1 crore, around threefold the number in the 2019 upazila polls.
For vice-chairman posts, there are eight such aspirants, while there are three for women vice-chairman candidates, taking the total number of individuals with assets worth at least Tk 1 crore in the second phase to 116 for all posts.
According to the law, citizens can own a maximum of 100 bighas, or 33 acres of land, but four candidates were found to possess land exceeding this limit.
At the top of this list is Shariatpur’s Janjira upazila chairman candidate, SM Aminul Islam, who owns 54.6 acres of land, while last on this list is Shivalay chairman candidate Abdur Rahim Khan, who owns 34.29 acres of land.
Elections will be held in 160 upazilas in the second phase on May 21.
