BANGLADESH鈥橲 democratic backslide is manifest not only in the erosion of the electoral culture and the holding of managed elections but also in the complete dominance of businessmen in parliament and local government bodies. Businessmen now dominate both parliament and upazila parishads, as the number of businessmen elected in the national elections and upazila parishad elections far surpasses that of elected members from other professions. According to TIB analysis, about 65 per cent of the members of parliament elected in the 12th national elections are businessmen. The figure was 62 per cent in the 11th parliament and 57.59 per cent in the 10th parliament. Only 18 per cent of its members were businessmen in the first parliament after the country鈥檚 independence. The number of businessmen elected in the recently held upazila parishad elections is also astoundingly high. Almost 70 per cent of the candidates running for chairman and vice-chairman positions were businessmen, and the percentage of businessmen who won in the elections is also over 65 per cent. Such a dominance of businessmen in parliament and local government bodies bodes ill for democracy and for the people.
The growing monopoly of the business elite in politics has weakened democratic institutions over the years. Business interests and money-making have come to be the de facto driving force in politics, society and the government, suggesting a dangerous takeover of politics by the business elite and turning politics into a business where businessmen, whose lifelong commitment is to making money, buy party tickets to widen their business and accumulate more wealth within a very short span of time. According to a TIB analysis, the income of those who were parliamentarians or held posts in the immediate past upazila parishad grew abnormally. The TIB report, which analyses the affidavits of candidates submitted to the Election Commission, says that the wealth of many candidates rerunning in upazila parishad elections has increased by 1,000鈥�8,000 per cent. In some cases, it found an increase of 31,900 per cent while the average increase in income of incumbent candidates has been about 200 per cent. The income of most members of parliament has also grown abnormally. When parliament appears to have already become a millionaires鈥� club, local government bodies also appear to be taken over by millionaires. 聽
The dominance of businessmen in politics means a precarious waning of the political space and people鈥檚 participation in politics. The government and the political parties must realise that the dominance of businessmen has turned politics into a business. All political parties, especially the ruling Awami League, must, therefore, make a course correction. The best way to ensure this is to provide space for everyone to engage in political activism. The authorities must also investigate the increase in assets of elected representatives that is not in sync with the increase in wealth of people outside the political process.
