The average ownership of movable assets of the newly elected members of parliament (MPs) has increased by 70.41 per cent from the 11th to the 12th parliament, according to Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB).
From the 10th to the 11th parliament, the anti-graft watchdog says, it has increased at a rate of 75 per cent.
The second round of TIB's Know Your Candidate (KYC) analysis of the 12th parliamentary election was released on its website on Thursday.
The highest 64.44 per cent of newly elected MPs are businesspersons. Over the last 15 years, the number of businesspersons serving as MPs rose by 8 per cent. The number of politicians is 10.1 per cent, followed by lawyers 9.09 per cent, agrarians 4.36 per cent, and doctors 3.03 per cent.
Based on movable assets, around 85 per cent of MPs have more than Tk 1 crore and 15 of them are billionaires. The total value of the assets of all members of the 12th Parliament amounts to Tk 22,700 crore.
At least 112 MPs earn more than Tk 1 crore annually, which is 38 per cent of the total members. 52 per cent earn more than Tk 10 lakh and less than Tk 1 crore.
Former Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi has the highest annual income worth Tk 83.29 crore. Based on movable assets, Gazi owns Tk 1,345.77 crore, which is 31.28 per cent higher than SAK Ekramuzzaman, an independent candidate for Brahmanbaria-1, the second highest on the list.
As many as 51.85 per cent of all members of the 12th parliament have loans or debts worth Tk 10,379 crore, of which Tk 3,225 crore are personal and other debts and Tk 7,153 crore are bank loans. It has increased by 0.52 per cent compared to the previous 11th parliament.
SAK Ekramuzzaman, owes Tk 2,536.86 crore worth of debts, while Golam Dastagir Gazi owes TK 1,958.13 crore worth of debts.
As per Land Reform Act 2023, there is a maximum limit on land ownership (60 bighas of agrarian land, up to 100 bighas of non-agrarian land), but 13 MPs have more land (800 acres) than the legal limit.
TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said, “Comparing the last four parliaments, it can be seen that the cumulative wealth of the MPs' assets increased. Like that, it has become a way to get rich by participating in the elections.”
“No regulatory body verifies whether the information on income and wealth and loans and debts provided by candidates before the election is accurate or if their income and wealth are accumulated through legal means,” he said.
“It is crucial to investigate the unusual rise in income and wealth of incumbent members of parliament. The revenue board can also verify if their income tax returns are consistent with their reported income and wealth,” he added.
Dr Iftekharuzzaman calls for the distribution of some 800 acres of land, illegally owned by the MPs, to the landless people through due legal process, thus setting an example of accountability.
On December 26 in 2023, TIB launched a report and a dashboard titled Know Your Candidate (KYC), analysing the election manifestoes and affidavits of all candidates for the elections from the 9th to the 12th national parliament.
