10 MPs see wealth rise by 4000% to 243,000%: TIB

Sitting MP from Rajshahi, Md Enamul Haque has reported his movable wealth gained 243,513% in last 15 years, well ahead of a list of 10 MPs making between 4,000% and 8,000% gains during the period, Transparency International Bangladesh reveals, analysing affidavits submitted by candidates for the 7 January parliamentary election.

Zunaid Ahmed Palak is in the second position with an increase of 16742% in his movable wealth.

The list includes Awami League candidates Noor-e-Alam Chowdhury from Madaripur, Meher Afroze from Gazipur-5, Sadhan Chandra Majumder from Naogaon and Abul Hasan Mahmood Ali from Dinajpur.

Family wealth of Enamul, a sitting Awami League lawmaker contesting as an independent candidate this time, saw over 38,000% increase in five years, topping another list of 10 MPs. Wives and dependents of others in the list have their wealth growing by 800% to 9,400%. Shariful Islam Jinnah of Bogura, Mohibur Rahman Manik of Sunamganj, Mohibbur Rahman of Patuakhali and Bodruddoza Md Farhad Hossain have their names in the list of high-wealth growth families of lawmakers.

The report found the incomes of some MPs who are contesting in the polls from different parties and independently, have seen an increase of over 7,100% in the last 15 years.

Expressing dismay over the wealth declaration of candidates, Chairperson of the TIB Board of Trustees Advocate Sultana Kamal said, "I do not know whether the wealth of our candidates has increased in a legal way."

She said while presenting the TIB report 'Election Affidavit Charts: What Message Are They Conveying to the People?', "The mountain of wealth we are seeing is now the new normal in our country. Some people will have crores of taka while others will worry about how to make ends meet."

TIB, the local chapter of the global anti-corruption watchdog, reveals that 571 candidates from different parties and independents have declared movable assets worth at least Tk1 crore, with 18 among them possessing assets valued at Tk100 crore or more.

The prevalence of candidates with immovable assets worth Tk1 crore is notably higher in the upcoming election compared to previous ones, with the count being 274 in 2008, 202 in 2014, and 552 in 2018.

The cumulative value of candidates' total assets amounts to Tk66,751 crore, as per the TIB. 

Mohammad Tauhidul Islam, head of the research group, presented the findings 26 December. 

The report also underscores a concern— the assets and income descriptions provided by candidates in their affidavits do not undergo verification by authorities. Consequently, the accuracy of these submissions comes into question, as stated in the TIB report.

TIB says there are questions about the veracity of the information given in the affidavit. Those responsible for verifying this information do not take any action.

Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of TIB, said that the information of the affidavit is not verified. The Election Commission, Revenue Department and Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) can do the job. But no one does. This data is provided here for informational purposes only.

Iftekharuzzaman also said that the information in the affidavit is also worrying for the political parties. If the voter thinks that he will not vote for this candidate after looking at the affidavit of the candidates, there is no alternative for him. 

Responding to questions in this regard, Election Commission Secretary Jahangir Alam told The Business Standard, "This matter is not under the jurisdiction of the Commission. The Commission is not an intelligence agency and cannot prosecute any criminal case." 

"The commission seeks affidavits from candidates and publishes the documents on its website so that the public can have access to candidates' information, including financials," he said. In this case, the commission has nothing to do. 

Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar is secretary of SHUJAN told TBS, if the Election Commission has no power to do anything about the affidavits and about those withholding information, then what is their responsibility?

He also said that the information given by the candidates in the election affidavit is very little. Some of them hide information. The Election Commission should scrutinise whatever is revealed. Those who have amassed thousands of crores of taka's wealth abroad are not giving their information in the affidavit.

TIB has created a dashboard titled 'Candidate Identification in Affidavit' with data of previous three national elections. 

On Tuesday, it also launched a dashboard titled "Know Your Candidate." 

The 12th parliamentary elections, scheduled for 7 January, will have 1,896 candidates including 347 independents.

TIB highlighted a significant aspect of the upcoming election, noting a substantial participation of independent candidates with a majority coming from the ruling party and having been denied party tickets.

Loans and liabilities

According to the TIB report, the combined total of personal and other debts for all candidates in the 12th national polls amounts to Tk4,214.88 crore, while their cumulative bank loans reach Tk11,950.40 crore.

Syed AK Ekramuzzaman, the dismissed BNP leader and former advisor to Khaleda Zia, claims the top position among electoral candidates in debt, with outstanding loans and liabilities totaling Tk2,537 crore. He is running as an independent candidate for Brahmanbaria-1.

Independent candidate Mohammad Monjur Alam, contesting for Chattogram-10, holds loans and liabilities worth Tk2,006.6 crore. Golam Dastagir Gazi, the current Jute and Textile Minister and candidate for Narayanganj-1, declares Tk1,958 crore in loans and liabilities.

Other prominent candidates with substantial debts include Mahmud Hasan, the Awami League candidate for Gaibandha-5, with Tk1,209.17 crore, and Kazi Nabil Ahmed, the Awami League candidate for Jashore-3 seat, reporting Tk919 crore.

Out of the total candidates, 170, or approximately 9.27%, currently have cases filed against them. Moreover, among the candidates, 344, constituting 18.18%, had previous cases filed against them.

Land possession

Many candidates possess extensive agriculture land holdings, with independent candidate Md Golam Kabir Bhuiyan from Kishoreganj-3 boasting an impressive 647.62 acres. Another independent candidate, Beauty Begum from Bogura-2, disclosed ownership of 547.97 acres of agricultural land in her affidavit. Additionally, Mohammad Mohit Ur Rahman, an Awami League candidate running for the Mymensingh-4 seat, declared possession of 195.44 acres of agri land.

Regarding non-agricultural land holdings, Md Jakir Hossain, the Jatiya Party candidate for Jamalpur-5 seat, holds 813.02 acres. Another Jatiya Party candidate, Md Alauddin Mridha, contesting for Natore-4, possesses 570.5 acres of non-agriculture land. Additionally, Md Mohiuddin Moharaj, an independent candidate from Pirojpur-2 constituency, has 370 acres of non-agriculture land.

According to the Land Reforms Act, the maximum limit of land ownership by an individual is 100 bighas (Around 33 Acres), both agricultural and non-agricultural. According to the affidavit, many of the candidates own large tracts of land in their names, the document said.

Millionaire candidates

In the 12th national polls, the majority of candidates with assets worth at least Tk1 crore are affiliated with the ruling Awami League, numbering 235. Following closely are independent candidates, with 163 of them having assets worth Tk1 crore.

In contrast, 47 candidates from Jatiya Party, 17 from Jatiya Party (JP), seven from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, six from Trinamool BNP, and five from Bangladesh Workers Party possess assets worth at least Tk1 crore.

In the elections of 2008, 2014, 2018, and 2024, the percentage of candidates possessing assets worth at least Tk1 crore within the Jatiya Party were 35.59%, 25.58%, 31.65%, and 20%, respectively. For the Awami League, the corresponding percentages of millionaire candidates are 27.94%, 61.54%, 83.15%, and 86.96%, respectively.

The BNP, which has boycotted the next election, had 44.71% millionaire candidates in 2008 and 51.32% in 2018.

At the forefront of candidates with assets exceeding Tk100 crore is Golam Dastagir Gazi, the Awami League candidate in the Narayanganj-1 constituency, who declared assets amounting to Tk1,345.77 crore in his affidavit submitted to the Election Commission.

Other candidates with assets surpassing Tk100 crore mark include SAK Ekramuzzaman, an independent candidate affiliated with the ruling Awami League in Brahmanbaria-1 seat, holds assets valued at Tk421.16 crore. Salman Fazlur Rahman, the Awami League candidate for the Dhaka-1 seat, boasts assets worth Tk315.76 crore. In Cumilla-8, Awami League candidate Abu Zafar Mohammad Shafi Uddin possesses assets totaling Tk306.68 crore. Yusuf Abdullah Harun, an Awami League candidate in Cumilla-3, reports assets worth Tk277.61 crore. Independent candidate Dilip Kumar Agarwala in Chuadanga-1 has assets amounting to Tk276.19 crore, while Abdul Momin Mondal, an Awami League candidate from Sirajganj-5, declares assets valued at Tk253.24 crore.

What is the message in the affidavits

TIB findings show 47% of independent candidates have movable assets valued Tk1 crore or more. Political parties participating in the ensuing polls have seen a whopping growth in number of millionaire candidates, with 82% of Awami League nominated candidates having Tk 1 crore or more, up from 27% in the 9th Jatiya Sangsad elections held 15 years back.

Though 164 have annual earnings of at least Tk1 crore, overt 65% earn less than the amount.  

Among the candidates for the 12th national polls, 27 have debts totalling Tk16,000 crore.

Affidavits submitted by candidates to the Election Commission show some of the MPs elected in the last elections (11th) saw up to 2000% rise in incomes.

MPs' maximum rise in assets was over 5400% in the last five years, when dependents of some MPs saw a maximum rise over 38,000%.   

Of the ministers and state ministers, the maximum rise in income was over 2100% and assets over 1000% in the last five years.

TIB raises questions about how far the data in the affidavits are true since there is no official verification.