According to the household income and expenditure survey of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the poverty rate in Bangladesh is 18.7 per cent. Over the past six years, the rate of poverty has dropped by around 6 per cent. The rate of extreme poverty in the country has dropped too. The decrease in poverty and extreme poverty stands at around 1 per cent per year.
A comparison can be drawn with increase in the number of wealthy persons. The first phase of the upazila election was held on 8 May. There are all sorts of political analyses as to why the voter turnout was so low in this election. Some blame BNP and some blame Awami League. We won't get into that argument. What we want to see is the increase in income and assets of the candidates who contested in the election.
According to the TIB (Transparency International Bangladesh) analysis of information concerning the candidates, the highest increase in wealth over the past 10 years has been of the woman vice chairman candidate in Kapasia, Gazipur, Raushan Ara Sarkar. The increase in her wealth has been 18,233 per cent. Next is the Gazipur Sadar upazila chairman candidate Rina Parveen. Her wealth has gone up by 10,074 per cent.
There are 117 multimillionaires contesting in the election for various posts. As it is difficult to assess the exact value of land, this hasn't been included in the calculations regarding these multimillionaires
There were 37 candidates with wealth over Tk 10 million (Tk 1 crore) in the last upazila election. This has gone up to 94 this time. The wealth and assets of many have skyrocketed almost unbelievably. Around 70 per cent of the chairman candidates in the first phase of the election are businesspersons. There are 94 "crorepati" of "kotipati" candidates (multimillionaire candidates having over one crore or over Tk 10 million). This is around a threefold increase in the number of multimillionaire candidates. Among vice chairmen candidates, there are 17 multimillionaires and 6 women multimillionaire vice chairmen candidates. All in all, there are 117 multimillionaires contesting in the election for various posts. As it is difficult to assess the exact value of land, this hasn't been included in the calculations regarding these multimillionaires.
Around 90 per cent of the people in this country are of the poor, lower income and middle class. We have never heard of those who practice politics for them, who become people's representatives, who are installed in the top echelons of the state and administration, being poor. From the union parishad to the national parliament -- it is rare to ever spot a poor individual.
West Pakistan's economy was much better than that of East Pakistan. Most of the budget was spent there. It was in the struggle against this inequality that Bangladesh became independent. But the inequality and exploitation persists. Before it was the outsiders that exploited us, now Bangladeshis exploit Bangladeshis
In its 2008 election manifesto Awami League stated that the people's representatives would make public declaration of their wealth and assets and that of their family members. They later moved away from that. Now the leaders say, these details are submitted to NBR and so there is no need for any separate declaration.
However, due to directives from the Supreme Court, the candidates must declare their income, expenditure and assets. That is why the wealth of the present and future candidates can be discerned. A comparison can be made between the present and the past.
In the first phase, 69.86 per cent off the chairman candidates declared themselves to be businesspersons. Ranking on top of the list with the most moveable assets is Gopalganj chairman candidate Kamruzzaman Bhuiyan. His total moveable assets amount to Tk 252.4 million (Tk 25 crore 24 lakh) in worth. Next is Anwarul Islam of Kaunia upazila, Rangpur, with Tk 203 million (Tk 20 crore 30 lakh).
TIB's analysis indicates reveals that eight candidates have crossed the limit of land ownership. According to the law, a citizen can own 100 bighas or 33 acres of land at the most. This number will be much higher in the Jatiya Sangsad (national parliament) election. The people exceeding legal limitations are our lawmakers and our servers.
In comparison to the 2009 upazila polls, the highest increase in income has been of Pradip Kumar Karbari, chairman candidate for Ramgarh, Khagrachhari. His assets have shot up by over 3000 per cent. The income of another four candidates has gone up by over 1000 per cent.
Who will say that Bangladesh is poor after perusing the accounts of the assets owned by the candidates of the last parliament election and this upazila election! "Poor Bangladesh" doesn't exist in the Jatiya Sangsad or the zila and upazila parishads. Poor Bangladesh exists in the urban slums, the factories, the crop fields and in the emaciated faces of the marginalised people.
In Pakistan times there was a dual economy. West Pakistan's economy was much better than that of East Pakistan. Most of the budget was spent there. It was in the struggle against this inequality that Bangladesh became independent. But the inequality and exploitation persists. Before it was the outsiders that exploited us, now Bangladeshis exploit Bangladeshis.
Bangabandhu had said, "The world is divided into two -- the exploiters and the exploited. I am on the side of the exploited." But Awami League's present economic policy and programmes indicate that they are actively protecting the exploiters. The looting of billions from the banking sector is even defended in parliament. They say, "The culture of loan default started during the rule of Ziaur Rahman and expanded during the rules of Ershad and Khaleda Zia." It is easy to criticise others. It is difficult to face reality.
Former commerce minister Tipu Munshi once said, the standard of living of 40 million people in Bangladesh is equal to that of people in Europe. But have the people' representatives any idea about the lower rung of 40 million people steeped in abject poverty, struggling for a decent meal?
According to the BBS report, the average monthly income of a person in Bangladesh is Tk 7,614. People in the cities have a much higher income than those in the villages. The average monthly income of an urban person is Tk 10,951. And for the rural person it is Tk 6,091.
The average is calculated from the highest and the lowest earnings. Say, if a persons earns Tk 100,000 a month and another earns nothing at all. Their average income stands at Tk 50,000. That doesn't mean the man with no income will get a share from the other man's income. Along with development, the income gap has increased in Bangladesh too. Around 41 per cent of the total income in the country is owned by the wealthiest 10 per cent. The poorest 10 per cent have 1.31 per cent of the earnings.
All the people's representatives in the elections are rich. Some are ultra-rich. But the majority of the voters are poor or ultra-poor. In the past, a couple of poor people would be elected too. Now no poor persons will even dare to contest. The deposit required to contest as chairman in the upazila election has been increased to Tk 100,000 and for vice chairman Tk 75,000. It is not possible on the part of any poor person to deposit this sum of money.
A few years ago the US-based Wealth-X reported that Bangladesh had the highest growth in ultra-wealthy persons, higher than in various big economies. The increase in ultra-wealthy persons has been around 17 per cent on average. Details of some of these ultra-wealthy were seen the affidavits of the candidates. To get further details of the others, one may have to visit the second homes built up in Malaysia, Abu Dhabi or in Begumpara built up in Canada.
* Sohrab Hassan is joint editor of Prothom Alo and a poet
* This column appeared in the print and online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten for the English edition by Ayesha Kabir