How business interests create ‘Conflict of Interest’ risks for MPs
Editorial Desk :
As businesspersons continue to dominate Bangladesh’s parliament, concerns are resurfacing over whether private commercial interests are shaping public policymaking.
In the 13th national elections, 174 out of 297 elected MPs about 59 per cent declared business as their principal profession.
Although slightly lower than the 67 per cent recorded in the 12th parliament, businesspersons still constitute a clear majority.
The trend has evolved over decades. In the 1973 parliamentary elections, businesspersons made up 18 percent of MPs.
The share rose to 38 per cent in 1991 and continued increasing 42.5 per cent in 1996, 58 per cent in 2001, 57 per cent in 2008, 59 per cent in 2014, 62 per cent in 2018, 67 per cent in 2024, and 59 per cent at present.
This steady rise signals a structural shift in political representation
from lawyers, agriculturists and career politicians to business elites.
A pattern during the Awami League era
The dominance became particularly pronounced in the 12th national election in 2024, when 67 per cent of elected MPs were businesspersons.
Major opposition parties, including the BNP and Jamaat, boycotted that election.
The contest was largely between Awami League candidates and independent candidates aligned with the same political camp.
Sectoral power: The BGMEA example
The influence of business representation is visible at the sectoral level.
On February 26, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) granted a reception to MPs elected from the apparel sector in the 13th parliament.
A total of 16 MPs from families linked to the garment industry were elected. Among them, three took oath as ministers and three as state ministers.
BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan said the newly elected MPs would serve as a strong voice for the garment sector at the policymaking level.
Former BGMEA senior vice-president and MP Md Lutfur Rahman said the industry’s development began during the tenure of Ziaur Rahman and pledged that sector-linked MPs would work to further strengthen the industry and the national economy.
To industry leaders, this dual role of lawmaker and sector representative is an advantage.
A total of 16 MPs from families linked to the apparel industry were elected to the 13th parliament. They are: Ahmed Sohel Monjur (Pirojpur-2), Md Lutfur Rahman (Tangail-4), Mohammad Zakir Hossain (Mymensingh-5), Md Shariful Alam (Kishoreganj-6), Afroza Khanam (Manikganj-3), Md Abdullah (Munshiganj-1), Shama Obaed Islam (Faridpur-2), Khandaker Abdul Muktadir (Sylhet-1), S M Faisal (Habiganj-4), Khaled Hossain Mahbub (Brahmanbaria-3), Zakaria Taher (Cumilla-8), Md Abul Kalam (Cumilla-9), Abdul Hannan (Chandpur-4), Zainul Abedin Faruq (Noakhali-2), Md Shahadat Hossain (Lakshmipur-1) and Ershad Ullah (Chattogram-8).
Among them, three have taken oath as ministers and three as state ministers.
While Afroza Khanam Rita (Civil Aviation and Tourism) and Zakaria Taher (Housing and Public Works) avoided overt conflicts, Khondkar Abdul Muktadir’s appointment as Minister of Commerce, Industries, Textiles and Jute raised concerns. Muktadir, managing director of Shabab Fabrics Ltd and former BTTLMEA chairman, now oversees sectors tied to his business.
Similarly, State Minister Shariful Alam is an RMG businessman and BGMEA member.
This pattern is longstanding in Bangladesh. After the 2024 election, Awami League lawmakers often headed ministries regulating their own industries.
Former Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi led the BGMEA while in office, and MP Nizam Uddin Hazari, with a manpower export business, joined the Parliamentary Committee on Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment — highlighting persistent conflict-of-interest risks.
Article 188(2) of the Rules of Procedure of the Jatiya Sangsad clearly states:
“No member shall be appointed to a Committee who has a personal, pecuniary or direct interest in any matter which may be considered by that Committee.”
The provision aims to prevent MPs from overseeing sectors in which they have direct financial stakes.
However, critics argue that in practice this safeguard has rarely been enforced rigorously.
In many cases, lawmakers with business links to banking, energy, shipping, real estate or garments have reportedly served on standing committees overseeing those very sectors.
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has repeatedly warned that the growing presence of businesspersons in parliament increases the risk of policy capture and conflict of interest.
Businesspersons bring managerial expertise, investment knowledge and economic insight to parliament.
However, without strict conflict-of-interest safeguards, policymaking risks being tilted toward elite economic interests rather than broader public welfare.
With 59 per cent of MPs in the 13th parliament coming from business backgrounds, the question is no longer whether business has a voice in parliament but whether institutional checks are strong enough to ensure that public office does not become a platform for private gain.
