Interim govt: Assets increase for 18 advisers

Asset declarations of advisers to the interim government have been made public, showing that the total wealth of all serving advisers now exceeds Tk 10 million (1 crore) each. The assets of 18 advisers have increased, while those of three have declined.

The cabinet division published the advisers’ asset statements on Tuesday, containing information up to 30 June of the previous fiscal year. The disclosures present aggregate net assets, comprising both movable and immovable property.

However, detailed breakdowns, such as the amount of land, houses, flats, bank deposits or cash holdings, were not provided. By contrast, candidates contesting national parliamentary elections are required to submit detailed asset information in their affidavits.

Following the July mass uprising, the government led by Sheikh Hasina collapsed on 5 August 2024, after which she fled to India. The interim government assumed office on 8 August.

The advisers appointed to this administration are all established figures in their respective fields. In addition to their prescribed salaries and allowances, they have received other state benefits during their tenure.

Observers have described the publication of advisers’ asset declarations prior to their departure from office as significant, expressing hope that ministers and other relevant figures in future governments will regularly disclose their assets.

All 21 current members of the advisory council possess assets exceeding Tk 10 million. However, two former student advisers who resigned in December, Mahfuj Alam (approximately Tk 1.3 million) and Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain (over Tk 1.5 million), held assets below that threshold.

The wealthiest adviser is commerce adviser Sk Bashir Uddin, whose assets amount to approximately Tk 920 million. He is followed by planning adviser professor Wahiduddin Mahmud, with assets worth Tk 162.3 million.

Chief adviser professor Muhammad Yunus ranks third, with assets exceeding Tk 156.2 million. Social welfare adviser Sharmeen S Murshid holds assets worth nearly Tk 110 million. The adviser with the lowest declared assets is livestock adviser Farida Akhtar, with holdings of around Tk 10 million.

The assets of four advisers have increased by more than Tk 10 million. They are chief adviser professor Muhammad Yunus, and advisers Adilur Rahman Khan, Bidhon Ranjan Roy Poddar and professor Wahiduddin Mahmud.

Professor Yunus’s assets increased by Tk 16.1 million, Adilur Rahman Khan’s by Tk 15.4 million, Bidhon Ranjan Roy Poddar’s by Tk 13.6 million, and Wahiduddin Mahmud’s by approximately Tk 11.4 million.

The assets of Touhid Hossain, CR Abrar, Sk Bashir Uddin and Ali Imam Majumder increased by between Tk 5.2 million and Tk 6.2 million. Those of Sharmeen S Murshid, M Sakhawat Hossain, AFM Khalid Hossain, Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, Faruk-e-Azam, Farida Akhtar, Lieutenant General (retd) Muhammad Jahangir Alam and professor Asif Nazrul rose by between Tk 1.3 million and Tk 2.9 million. Assets of Mahfuj Alam (former adviser), Salehuddin Ahmed and Noorjahan Begum increased by between Tk 400,000 and Tk 900,000.

Several advisers have provided explanations alongside the official disclosures. The chief adviser cited encashment of savings certificates, growth in savings or fixed deposits, and inherited shares as reasons for the increase in his assets.

Wahiduddin Mahmud attributed his asset growth to interest earned on bank deposits and income from agreements with housing developers. Adilur Rahman Khan stated that inheritance of residential and agricultural property increased his non-financial assets.

The assets of Syeda Rizwana Hasan declined by Tk 11.3 million, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s by around Tk 1.2 million, and Suprodip Chakma’s by Tk 1.6 million.

Among advisers’ spouses, the largest increase was recorded by Nusrat Imroz Tisha, wife of Mostofa Sarwar Farooki. The actress’s assets rose by Tk 15.9 million, bringing her total wealth to nearly Tk 30 million.

The assets of Humayun Kader Chowdhury, husband of Sharmeen S Murshid, increased by more than Tk 10 million, taking his total assets to over Tk 83.5 million.

The spouses of Salehuddin Ahmed, Adilur Rahman Khan, CR Abrar and Asif Nazrul also recorded asset increases ranging from Tk 4.4 million to Tk 7.5 million.

Meanwhile, the spouses of Touhid Hossain, Sakhawat Hossain, Noorjahan Begum and Supradip Chakma saw a decline in assets. The chief adviser’s wife, Afrozi Yunus, recorded a reduction of Tk 8.4 million.

Professor Yunus declared assets of approximately Tk 156.2 million, while his wife Afrozi Yunus holds Tk 12.8 million. Salehuddin Ahmed declared Tk 71.6 million, and his wife Parveen Ahmed Tk 53.8 million. Wahiduddin Mahmud holds Tk 162.2 million. Law adviser Asif Nazrul declared Tk 16.1 million, while his wife Sheila Ahmed holds Tk 24.5 million. Foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain declared Tk 29.3 million, and his wife Jahan Ara Siddiqui Tk 36.6 million.

Home affairs adviser Lieutenant General (retd) Md Jahangir Alam declared Tk 27.7 million, and his wife Layla Arju Tk 11.3 million. Housing adviser Adilur Rahman Khan declared Tk 25.3 million, and his wife Saira Rahman Khan Tk 58.4 million. Food and land adviser Ali Imam Majumder declared Tk 38.9 million. Education adviser CR Abrar declared Tk 75.7 million, while his wife professor Tasneem Siddiqui declared Tk 82.9 crore.

Power adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan declared Tk 67.2 million, and his wife Dilruba Kabir Tk 31.8 million. Environment adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan declared Tk 11.3 million, and her husband Abu Bakar Siddique Tk 19 million. Liberation war affairs adviser Faruk-e-Azam declared Tk 20.2 million, and his wife Shamima Faruk Tk 4 million.

Shipping adviser Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain declared Tk 35.1 million, and his wife Lieutenant Colonel (retd) Rehana Khanam Tk 3.3 million. Health adviser Noorjahan Begum declared Tk 62.4 million, and her husband KM Asaduzzaman Tk 13.7 million. Primary education adviser Bidhon Ranjan Roy Poddar declared Tk 58.3 million, and his wife Rama Saha Tk 34 million.

Livestock adviser Farida Akhtar declared Tk 10.2 million, and her husband AFM Mazharul Haque (Farhad Mazhar) Tk 11 million. Social welfare adviser Sharmeen S Murshid declared Tk 109.4 million, and her husband Humayun Kader Chowdhury Tk 83.5 million. Religious affairs adviser AFM Khalid Hossain declared Tk 11.4 million, and his wife Kamrunnesa Hasina Tk 1.4 million.

Chittagong affairs adviser Supradip Chakma declared Tk 11 million, and his wife Nandita Chakma Tk 5.9 million. Commerce adviser Sk Bashir Uddin declared Tk 916.5 million, and his wife Ifsia Mahin Tk 21.1 million. Culture adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki declared Tk 21.5 million, while his wife Nusrat Imroz Tisha declared Tk 29.9 million. Some advisers and spouses also reported liabilities, including Tk 10 million in liabilities declared by Tisha.

Former local government adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain declared assets of Tk 1.5 million and liabilities of Tk 29,000 as of 30 June 2025. Former information adviser Mahfuj Alam declared assets of over Tk 1.27 million, up from Tk 420,000 lakh in 2024.

Special assistant to the chief adviser with adviser status, General (retd) Abdul Hafiz, declared assets of Tk 135.7 million, up from Tk 127.3 million in 2024. His wife Ishita Sarwat declared assets of Tk 26.1 million.

Professor Ali Riaz, who joined as an adviser on 13 November last year, did not submit asset information. Another adviser, Lutfey Siddiqi, does not receive government benefits and did not disclose asset details.

National security adviser Khalilur Rahman declared assets of USD 4.63 million (approximately Tk 570 million) and Tk 2.2 million, including overseas properties, along with liabilities of USD 1.2 million.

In an address to the nation on 25 August 2024, the chief adviser pledged that all advisers would disclose their assets promptly.

Subsequently, the interim government advisers and equivalent officials asset disclosure policy 2024 was issued on 1 October, authorising the chief adviser to publish asset statements at his discretion.

Transparency International Bangladesh executive director Iftekharuzzaman described the publication, despite delays, as significant.

He said that had the disclosures been made voluntarily and on time, as pledged, they would have been more widely praised and set a stronger precedent.

Iftekharuzzaman expressed hope that ministers in the next government, members of the 13th parliament and all public officials would voluntarily disclose and update their asset statements annually.