‘59pc of BNP candidates in debt’

Staff Reporter :

Transparency International Bangladesh found a wide gap between candidates’ affidavit disclosures and reality, urging scrutiny of concealed assets, lawful income sources, and realistic tax liabilities.

It also expressed deep concern over the continued marginalisation of women in electoral politics, stating that no political party has met the proposed five percent target for nominating women candidates for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election.

The organisation blamed money, muscle power, and religious extremism for holding women’s representation “hostage” in the country’s political process.

TIB also called for rigorous verification of the accuracy of information submitted by candidates in their election affidavits, including declarations related to dual citizenship, income, assets, loans, and liabilities.

It stressed the need to examine whether declared income and assets were acquired through lawful means and whether any assets, at home or abroad, were concealed.

These observations were shared at a press conference organised to release TIB’s report titled “Candidate Profiles in Election Affidavits” and to launch the “Know Your Candidate (KYC)” dashboard.

The event was attended by TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, Adviser-Executive Management Prof. Dr. Sumaiya Khair, Director (Research and Policy) Muhammad Badiuzzaman, Deputy Coordinator (Outreach and Communication) Zafar Sadiq, Assistant Coordinators Rifat Rahman and K. M. Rafiqul Alam, among others.
The report was presented by Mohammad Tauhidul Islam, Director of Outreach and Communication at TIB.
According to TIB, candidates are required under the Representation of the People Order to declare any dual citizenship and submit proof of renunciation.
In the current election, 21 candidates declared that they had acquired and later renounced foreign citizenship.
However, TIB said at least two candidates, despite having British citizenship according to reliable information, failed to disclose their dual nationality in their affidavits.
The report also highlighted several cases of alleged asset concealment abroad. In one instance, a dependent of a candidate reportedly purchased a house in the United Kingdom in 2013 worth £1.4 million (approximately Tk 210 crore), which was not declared in the affidavit.
TIB said the property was allegedly purchased through a shell company with ownership registered in Dubai. In another case, a candidate did not declare any overseas assets, although his wife reportedly owns a flat in Dubai.
One candidate declared ownership of three flats abroad, while investigations suggest the actual number is at least three times higher, with an estimated investment of around Tk 35 crore. Another candidate denied having any overseas business interests, but links were found to 11 companies, eight of which are commercially active. Commenting on the findings, Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said there is a “wide gap” between affidavit disclosures and reality.
“It is essential to investigate whether information has been concealed, whether declared assets are consistent with lawful income, and whether the amount of tax payable against declared income and assets is realistic,” he said.
He added that although institutions responsible for verification have mandates, they either lack capacity or fail to use it effectively.
TIB’s analysis shows that 51 political parties are contesting the election with a total of 1,981 final candidates, about 13 percent of whom are independents.
Candidates from Islamist parties now account for more than 36 percent of the total – the highest proportion among the last five elections.
Women’s participation remains negligible, with women making up only 3.38 percent of party-nominated candidates, compared to 10 percent among independents.
Dr. Iftekharuzzaman noted that most Islamist parties, including Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, have not nominated a single woman candidate.
He also criticised mainstream parties, including the BNP, for denying women nominations due to power-centric alliance politics.
“The argument that there are no qualified or interested women candidates is baseless,” he said, adding that expectations regarding women’s representation in Parliament have been “trampled.”
Responding to questions from journalists, he further said that legitimising loan-defaulter businesspeople as candidates violates the Election Commission’s constitutional responsibility.
“Due to a lack of moral courage, nominations of loan defaulters have been approved, which is condemnable,” he said, warning that a continuation of such practices would undermine prospects for democratic governance.
The report also provides a detailed socio-economic profile of candidates. More than 48 percent are primarily businesspersons, while lawyers and teachers account for 12.61 percent and 11.56 percent respectively.
Only 1.56 percent identified politics as their profession. Based on declared market values, 891 candidates are multimillionaires, and 27 candidates possess assets worth over Tk one billion.

About 25.5 percent of candidates declared loans or liabilities, with total liabilities exceeding Tk 188.68 billion, including nearly Tk 175 billion in bank loans. Although fewer candidates are indebted compared to previous elections, the total amount of debt is the highest on record.
Affidavit data also shows that 530 candidates are currently facing criminal cases, while 740 had cases filed against them in the past.
Total declared election expenditure stands at Tk 463.7 crore, with an average of Tk 22.5 lakh per candidate. BNP declared the highest expenditure at Tk 119.5 crore, followed by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami at Tk 80.6 crore.
The analysis further reveals that spouses or dependents of many candidates possess greater assets than the candidates themselves, including movable assets, land, and buildings.
TIB said the objective of the analysis and the newly launched interactive dashboard is to help voters make informed choices and to urge institutions such as the Election Commission, Anti-Corruption Commission, National Board of Revenue, and Financial Intelligence Unit to expedite scrutiny of affidavit disclosures and ensure accountability.