A total of 891 candidates contesting the upcoming 13th national election have movable and immovable assets worth crores of taka, according to Transparency International Bangladesh. The findings, found through TIB’s analysis of the profiles of valid candidates based on their election affidavits, were presented at a press conference at TIB office in Dhaka on Thursday.
More than 28 per cent of candidates reported an annual income of up to Tk 3.75 lakh while 124 candidates declared annual incomes of Tk 1 crore or more. The analysis shows that 58.84 per cent of candidates have declared assets worth less than Tk 1 crore, while 27 candidates declared assets exceeding Tk 100 crore. Regarding citizenship and overseas links, 21 candidates previously held dual citizenship but have since renounced it.
A total of 31 candidates reported income from foreign sources, while 17 candidates declared owning assets abroad, according to their affidavits. TIB analysis showed Islamic parties have fielded the highest number of candidates in terms of party affiliation this time. Of the total, 4.02 per cent are women, while 95.98 per cent are men. Among female candidates, six are from the Jamaat alliance and 24 from the BNP alliance.
Out of total candidates, 48.48 per cent candidates showed their profession as business, 12.61 per cent lawyer, 11.56 per cent teaching and only 1.56 per cent as politics. This election will see 1,696 first-time candidates contesting for parliamentary seats.
In terms of education, about 76.42 per cent of candidates hold undergraduate or postgraduate degrees, marking the highest proportion of such candidates in any election to date, according to TIB analysis. In addition, 68.05 per cent of candidates reported having bank loans.
The TIB analysis also found that BNP candidates are the most indebted among all parties. According to the data, 59.41 per cent of BNP candidates have bank loans. In terms of legal cases, 530 candidates currently face criminal cases, while 740 candidates had cases against them in the past. Candidates declared a total election expenditure of Tk 463.7 crore for the upcoming polls, with the average spending per candidate standing at Tk 22.5 lakh.
The analysis further shows that 259 candidates declared expenditures below the average amount. Around 2000 candidates are contesting in the upcoming election scheduled for February 12.
