The movable assets of chairman candidates in the first phase of the upazila parishad elections scheduled for May 8 have increased up to 4,200 per cent, more than those of candidates in the parliamentary election on January 7, according to Transparency International Bangladesh.
Ahead of the January 7 elections, TIB found a maximum 3,065 per cent increase in the moveable assets of a candidate in five years.
The movable assets of Gaibandha鈥檚 Fulchhar upazila chairman, GM Selim Parvaj, who is seeking re-election, have increased from Tk 3 lakh in 2019 to Tk 1.37 crore in 2024鈥攁n increase of more than 4,200 per cent in his five-year tenure, TIB revealed in a press conference on Monday at its office in Dhaka.
The anti-graft watchdog prepared the report by analysing the affidavits of candidates submitted to the Election Commission in 144 upazilas across the country.
According to the report, the moveable assets of upazila vice-chairman candidate Abdullah Al Sakib of Natore Sadar have increased by 2,153 per cent, from Tk one lakh in 2019 to Tk 17 lakh in 2024.
Mymensingh鈥檚 Fulpur upazila chairman candidate Ataul Karim Russel鈥檚 assets increased by 1,692 per cent, from Tk 19 lakh in 2019 to Tk 3.42 crore in 2024.
Women vice-chairman candidate Mosammat Julia Begum of Biswanath in Sylhet had her moveable assets increased by 1,380 per cent, to Tk 13 lakh from Tk one lakh in 2019.
The assets increased by 1,356 per cent for women vice-chairman candidate Nazma Aktar of Naria in Shariatpur, from Tk one lakh in 2019 to Tk 7 lakh. 聽聽
The dependents of MP candidates (wife or husband) also fall behind the dependents of upazila chairman candidates in terms of acquiring moveable assets.
Data showed that the movable wealth of dependants of Md Farid Hasan, a chairman candidate of Pangsha upazila in Rajbari, increased by 12,400 per cent against the highest 9,907 per cent of MP candidates鈥� dependants鈥� assets.
鈥業t is the responsibility of the Election Commission, National Board of Revenue and Anti-Corruption Commission to look into the abnormal increase in wealth of the candidates in the polls,鈥� TIB executive director Iftekharuzzaman said at the press conference.
鈥楾he institutions should investigate the wealth of candidates spontaneously, but they do not do it even after different organisations release the data,鈥� he added.
The TIB said that the number of candidates in the upazila elections with moveable assets of at least Tk 1 crore each more than doubled in five years.
A total of 117 candidates have moveable assets worth at least Tk 1 crore. Of them, 94 candidates are contesting for chairman posts, 17 for vice-chairman posts, and six for female vice-chairman posts.
In the 2019 polls, in the same upazilas, 45 candidates possessed moveable assets worth Tk 1 crore while the number was 34 in the 2014 polls.
Like the recent parliamentary polls, a large number of business people are participating in the upazila polls.
TIB feared that it might raise the influence of money on the polls.
The number of businesspeople contesting in the polls increased, as 56.41 per cent of candidates for chairman, vice-chairman, and women vice-chairman posts were found to be businesspeople.
In 2019, the number of businesspeople in the polls was 53.58 per cent and it was 48.17 per cent in 2014.
Businesspeople made up 69.86 per cent of chairman candidates, 66.59 per cent of vice-chairman candidates, and 24.37 per cent of women vice-chairman candidates.
The number of candidates from the teaching profession decreased from 7.84 per cent to 4.23 per cent and the number of candidates from the farming profession decreased from 15.26 per cent to 11.08 per cent in five years.
The TIB report also said that at least 13 relatives of ministers and lawmakers of the government were contesting the first phase of the upazila polls.
It also found that the income of a chairman increased by up to 3,319 per cent in five years and up to 18,233 per cent in 10 years.
The TIB report also said that currently 16.68 per cent of candidates are accused in different cases, while 23.41 per cent of candidates have loans.聽
TIB director Mohammad Tauhidul Islam, who presented the data, said at least 10 candidates owned more than 33 acres of land, the maximum allowed by law.
A person can be the owner of a maximum of 100 bigha or 33-acre lands as per the land law, but the 10 candidates have land beyond the limit, said Tauhid.
According to the EC, the upazila Parishad elections will proceed in four phases, with 152 upazilas in the first phase on Wednesday.
The second phase will be held on May 23, the third phase on May 29, and the fourth phase on June 5.