41pc candidates' income below Tk 500,000, which 10 have the highest income

Nearly half of the candidates contesting the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election are from lower-income backgrounds. Of the 2,026 candidates in the race, 832 have an annual income of less than Tk 500,000. This comprises 41 per cent of the candidates. On the other hand, 95 candidates have an annual income exceeding Tk 10 million. The information was revealed by SHUJAN, Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Citizens for Good Governance).

The details were shared at a press conference titled “Presentation of Information on Candidates Contesting the Election”, held on Saturday morning at the National Press Club in the capital.

SHUJAN’s data also presents a list of the top income-earning candidates in the election. According to the information, 741 candidates have annual incomes between Tk 500,000 and Tk 2.5 million. Another 132 candidates earn between more than Tk 2.5 million and Tk 5 million, while 71 candidates have incomes ranging from Tk 5 million to Tk 10 million. Meanwhile, 155 candidates did not fill in the income section of their affidavits.

SHUJAN’s data show that among candidates earning more than Tk 10 million a year, 51 are from the BNP. There are also 25 independent candidates and five candidates nominated by the Jatiya Party.
In its analysis, SHUJAN noted that compared with the 12th National Parliamentary Election, the proportion of candidates earning more than Tk 10 million a year and those earning less than Tk 500,000 has declined slightly. In the 12th parliamentary election, these figures stood at 8.77 per cent and 45 per cent respectively. In the current election, they have fallen to 4.59 per cent and 41 per cent.

SHUJAN’s data also includes a list of the top income earners in the election. Of the 10 candidates on this list, six are BNP nominees, three are independents, and one is nominated by Islami Andolan Bangladesh.
Topping the list is Zakaria Taher, the BNP candidate from Cumilla-8, with an annual income of nearly Tk 600 million. In second place is independent candidate Md Asadul Islam from Tangail-1, whose income is around Tk 400 million. Third on the list is Zakir Hossain Patwari, the Islami Andolan Bangladesh candidate from Lakshmipur-1, with an annual income of about Tk 190 million.

Fourth on the list is BNP candidate Mirza Abbas, with an income exceeding Tk 90 million. In fifth place is independent candidate Salahuddin Alamgir from Tangail-8, with an income of more than Tk 80 million.
The remaining five on the list are BNP candidate 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 has an annual income ranging between Tk 40 million and Tk 65 million.

SHUJAN’s central coordinator, Dilip Kumar Sarker presented these details at the press briefing. Also present at the even were SHUJAN secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar, treasurer Syed Abu Naser Bakhtiar Ahmed and others.