41pc of candidates earn less than Tk5 lakh yearly SHUJAN

Staff Reporter:

Nearly half of the candidates contesting the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election come from lower-income backgrounds, according to data released by election watchdog SHUJAN, Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Citizens for Good Governance).

Out of 2,026 candidates in the race, 832 reported annual incomes of less than Tk 500,000, accounting for 41 per cent of the total, SHUJAN said at a press conference on Saturday morning at the National Press Club in Dhaka. At the other end of the spectrum, 95 candidates declared annual incomes exceeding Tk 10 million.

The information was presented at a briefing titled “Presentation of Information on Candidates Contesting the Election,” based on affidavits submitted by candidates to the Election Commission.

According to SHUJAN’s analysis, 741 candidates reported annual incomes between Tk 500,000 and Tk 2.5 million, while 132 candidates earn between more than Tk 2.5 million and Tk 5 million. Another 71 candidates declared incomes ranging from Tk 5 million to Tk 10 million. However, 155 candidates did not provide any income information in their affidavits.

SHUJAN’s data also highlight the party-wise distribution among high-income candidates. Of those earning more than Tk 10 million annually, 51 are candidates of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The group also includes 25 independent candidates and five nominees of the Jatiya Party.

Comparing the figures with the 12th National Parliamentary Election, SHUJAN noted a slight decline in both the proportion of very high-income candidates and those in the lowest income bracket. In the previous election, candidates earning more than Tk 10 million a year made up 8.77 per cent of the total, while 45 per cent reported incomes below Tk 500,000. In the current election, those figures have fallen to 4.59 per cent and 41 per cent respectively.

SHUJAN also released a list of the top 10 income-earning candidates contesting the election. Six of them are BNP nominees, three are independent candidates, and one is from Islami Andolan Bangladesh.
Topping the list is BNP candidate Zakaria Taher from Cumilla-8, who reported an annual income of nearly Tk 600 million.

He is followed by independent candidate Md Asadul Islam from Tangail-1, with an income of around Tk 400 million. In third place is Zakir Hossain Patwari, the Islami Andolan Bangladesh candidate from Lakshmipur-1, who declared an annual income of about Tk 190 million.

Fourth on the list is BNP candidate Mirza Abbas, with an income exceeding Tk 90 million, while independent candidate Salahuddin Alamgir from Tangail-8 ranks fifth, earning more than Tk 80 million annually.

The remaining five candidates on the list are BNP nominee Salahuddin Ahmed from Cox’s Bazar-1, BNP candidate Md Jasim Uddin from Cumilla-5, BNP candidate Kaiser Kamal from Netrokona-1, independent candidate Shafiqul Islam Rahi from Chattogram-14, and BNP candidate Redowan Ahmed from Cumilla-7. Each of them reported annual incomes ranging between Tk 40 million and Tk 65 million.

The data were presented by SHUJAN central coordinator Dilip Kumar Sarker. SHUJAN secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar, Treasurer Syed Abu Naser Bakhtiar Ahmed and other senior members of the organisation were also present at the briefing.