Nearly 71 per cent of the candidates contesting in the second phase of the Sixth Upazila Parishad Election are businesspersons, with 105 chairman aspirants having more than Tk 10 million worth in movable assets.
In the second phase of the polls, the number of multimillionaires has increased threefold compared to the Fifth Upazila Parishad Election held in 2019, according to an analysis by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) after scrutinising the affidavits of the candidates for the second phase election in a programme at their Dhaka office on Sunday.
Apart from the multimillionaire chairman aspirants, eight vice chairman and three female vice chairman candidates have reported having assets worth more than Tk 1 crore.
Of the wealthy candidates, SM Jahangir Alam Manik, a chairman aspirant of Senbag Upazila in Noakhali, tops the list with Tk 84.76 crore worth of movable assets. He is followed by Sudhir Chowdhury, another chairman candidate of Dhamrai, Dhaka, with assets worth Tk 35.55 crore.
In the election's first phase, almost 70 per cent of the candidates who contested for the post of chairman were businesspersons, and 94 of them were multimillionaires.
Those elected in the 2019 upazila elections and contesting this year's election have had a prominent jump in their earnings during their tenure.
According to the candidates' affidavits, the earnings of the outgoing chairmen have increased by nearly 149 per cent, the vice chairman's increased by 196 per cent, and the female vice-chairman's income increased by 157 per cent. Their movable assets increased by 231, 383 and 125 per cent, respectively.
TIB said that the trend of rapid growth in income and wealth with tenure in power has become evident. The elected and their spouse's and dependents' income and assets also increase rapidly. There is also a clear tendency for those who have been in power for a long time to have higher incomes and wealth than the newcomers.
TIB calculated this based on the candidates' movable assets declared in the affidavits. TIB said immovable assets such as land were not brought in as it is difficult to value them.
The second phase of the Upazila Parishad Elections will be held in 160 upazilas. However, the TIB managed to collect affidavits of candidates in 157 upazilas from the Election Commission.
In the 157 upazilas, some 599 contest for chairman post, 689 for vice-chairman, and 523 for vice-chairman posts reserved for women. The second phase of the voting will be held on Tuesday.
In the second phase, 70.51 per cent of the chairman candidates identified themselves as businesspersons. The second highest (12.17 per cent) occupation showed agriculture, while lawyers (4.17 per cent) and teachers (4.17 per cent) in their affidavits.
Similarly, about 68.73 per cent of vice chairman candidates identified themselves as businesspersons, 52 per cent of the female vice chairman candidates were housewives, while 29 per cent claimed they were businesspersons.
According to TIB's analysis, the number of candidates having business as a profession is gradually increasing in the local government and national parliament elections. Business-oriented candidates have increased by eight per cent compared to the Fourth Upazila Parishad polls held in 2014.
TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said, "The political parties are failing to maintain discipline. Businessmen are taking the election as an investment.
"People's representatives see their position as a means of income and wealth development. As a result, public interest is not prioritised," he said.
