The 93 percent of Awami League (AL) candidates, who are contesting in 12^th national elections, have annual income of more than crore. The average annual income of 265 candidates of the ruling party is Tk 2 crores 14 lakhs. And the average value of their assets is more than Tk 28 crores. Furthermore, 170 candidates among 265 are businessmen.

The Citizen for Good Governance (Sujan) has revealed this information in an online press conference on Thursday. They’ve gathered the information after analyzing the affidavits of the AL candidates. The report states that the annual income of 1,945 candidates taking part in the elections is Tk 114 crores. The total value of their assets is Tk 13,620 Crores.    

Since 2008, it has been seen that in the competitive elections, the difference of income between the candidates was less than that’s prevailing now. In the elections of 2014, the disparity of income has become severe. In the electons of 2018, the income of AL candidates has been increased, but the income disparity was lessened. Then, the difference between the two groups was 61 percent, but it has encompassed all records now as the disparity is now— has become astonishing— 559 percent.

According to the report, in 11th National Parliament elections took place in 2018, businessmen candidates were about 52 percent. However, businessmen candidates in this election increased by 7 percent to about 59 percent. Among them, 170 out of 265 candidates of Awami League (64.15 percent), 173 out of 262 candidates of Jatiya Party (66.03 percent) and 302 out of 433 independent candidates are businessmen (69.75 percent). There are 27 candidates with more than Tk 100 crores of assets who are contesting this elections. Among them, Golam Dastgir Gazi, AL candidate of Narayanganj-1 constituency, is the richest. His assets are worth 1457 crores. The last rich candidate in the list is Saber Hossain Chowdhury, the Awami candidate of Dhaka-9 constituency. His assets are worth 103 crore rupees. Others in the list are, independent candidate of Brahmanbaria-1 constituency SAK Ekramuzzaman (497 crores), boat candidate of Comilla-8 constituency Abu Zafar Mohammad Shafi Uddin (372 crores), Awami candidate of Dhaka-1 constituency Salman Fazlur Rahman (353 crores), Sirajganj -5 seat Awami candidate Abdul Momin Mandal (342 crores), Gazipur-4 constituency independent candidate Alam Ahmed (330 crores), Chuadanga-1 constituency independent candidate Dilip Kumar Agarwala (317 crores), Comilla-3 Awami candidate Yusuf Abdullah Harun (305 crores), Narayanganj-1 independent candidate Gazi Golam Murtaza (277 crores), Dhaka-6 constituency Awami candidate Mohammad Saeed Khokon ((237 crores), Narsingdi-3 constituency independent candidate Sirajul Islam Molla (192 crores).

Sujan has also listed the top ten indebted candidates in the report. Independent candidate of Brahmanbaria-1 constituency SAK Ekramuzzaman has the highest debt. His loan amount is Tk 2301 crores. The tenth person in the list is independent candidate MA Razzak Khan from Chuadanga-1 with loan amount of 506 crores. Independent candidate of Chittagong-10 Constituency Mohammad Manjur Alam (1997 crores) is on the second place in the list of top borrowers. The rest are: Awami candidate of Gaibandha-5 Mahmud Hasan (1203 crores), Narayanganj-1 Awami candidate Golam Dastgir Gazi (935 crores), Jessore-3 seat Awami candidate Kazi Nabil Ahmed (919 crores), Comilla-6  Jatiya Party candidate Air Ahmed Salim (845 crores), Awami candidate for Joypurhat-2 constituency Abu Saeed Al Mahmud Swapan (757 crores), independent candidate for Feni-3 constituency Ishtiaq Ahmed Saikat (555 crores), Jatiya Party candidate for Narayanganj-5 constituency AKM Salim Osman (510 crores). The report also said that 915 (47.04 percent) of the contesting candidates paid income tax. Among them, 352 people paid income tax above lakh taka.

According to Sujan, the ruling Awami League has the highest number of candidates earning more than crores. 98 candidates (45.03%) of the party have annual income above crore. After that 56 candidates (12.93%) of independent candidates and 10 (3.82%) of Jatiya Party have annual income above crore.

​ Golam Dastgir Gazi of Narayanganj-1 Constituency is leading the list of top ten earners. His annual income is Tk 83 crores. The remaining nine candidates are Abu Jafar Mohammad Shafi Uddin, Awami candidate of Comilla-8 constituency (70 crores), Awami candidate of Brahmanbaria-1 constituency, SAK Ekramuzzaman (54 crores), independent candidate of Narayanganj-1 constituency Gazi Golam Murtaza (51 crores),  Dhaka-1 candidate Salman F Rahman (50 crores), Jhenaidah-2 independent candidate Nasser Shahriar Zahedi (19 crores), Barisal-3 constituency Jatiya Party candidate Golam Kibria Tipu (18 crores), Narsingdi-3 constituency independent candidate Sirajul Islam Mollah ( 16 crore), Dhaka-18 constituency independent candidate Khasru Chowdhury (16 crore) and Jessore 3 Constituency Awami candidate Kazi Nabil Ahmed (14 crore).

Sujan has listed the top ten candidates based on the amount of cash. Awami candidate of Sirajganj-5 constituency Abdul Momin Mandal has the most amounts of cash. His cash amount is Tk 47 crores. Then comes Jatiya Party candidate from Patuakhali-1 constituency ABM Ruhul Amin Howladar (26 crores), Noakhali-2 constituency independent candidate Ataur Rahman Bhuiyan (26 crores), Comilla-2 constituency independent candidate Abdul Majeed (23 crores), Brahmanbaria-1 Independent candidate of the constituency SAK Ekramuzzaman (23 crores), Awami candidate of Rajshahi-6 constituency Shahriar Alam (21 crores), Trinamool BNP's Ferdaus Bashir of Chittagong-10 constituency (19 crores), Yusuf Abdullah Haroon of Comilla-3 constituency (16 crores), Awami candidate of Dhaka-7 constituency Solaiman Salim (11 crore) and independent candidate of Manikganj-2 constituency Dewan Zahid Ahmed (11 crore).

 Former Justice MA Matin presided over the press conference. He said, “People do not expect anything from the parliament now. Awami League won this election. But no one will accept this election. There will be light at the end of the tunnel. I hope there will be good elections in Bangladesh in future.”

Dilip Kumar Sarkar, central coordinator of Sujan, read out the main report at the press conference. The lawyer Shahdin Malik said, “Regarding the wealth information of the candidates, the ACC can ask for 15 years wealth account of any person as per Section 26 of the ACC Act. Actions can also be taken if there is any discrepancy in assets and income. The fact is we all know ACC won’t do this to the candidates.”

Sujan also made some recommendations mentioning the lack of transparency in the candidates' affidavits. The recommendations are: Before publishing the results in the gazette, verify the correctness of the information mentioned in the affidavit of the elected members of parliament and cancel the results of those who give false information. Amendments to the affidavit table, especially the asset information table should be made. In this regard, it has been recommended to mention the immovable and immovable prices mandatory and to make provision for mentioning the current market price.

​(The report was published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on January 5 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque Khan) 

Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque​