15 newly elected MPs possess assets over Tk100 crore: TIB

Fifteen newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs) possess movable assets valued at Tk100 crore or more, according to the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB).

The TIB disclosed this information today after scrutinising data related to the candidates' personal belongings submitted to the Election Commission in their affidavits.

According to TIB's second round of Know Your Candidate (KYC) analysis, 85% of newly elected MPs have assets worth Tk1 crore.

The average ownership of movable assets of the MPs has increased by 75% from the 10th to the 11th parliament, and it has seen a 70.41% increase from the 2018 election to the 2024 election, TIB finds.

According to TIB analysis, 65% of the newly elected MPs are businessmen, which is the highest among the last four parliaments.

Some 56.83% MPs in the 9th parliament, 57.59% in the 10th, and 61% in the 11th parliament were businessmen. In the first parliament after the country's independence, only 18% of its members were businessmen.

At the forefront of candidates with assets exceeding Tk100 crore is Golam Dastagir Gazi, the Awami League MP elected from Narayanganj-1 constituency, who declared assets amounting to Tk1,345.77 crore in his affidavit submitted to the Election Commission.

Other candidates with an asset surpassing Tk100 crore mark include SAK Ekramuzzaman, AL MP elected from Brahmanbaria-1 seat, holds assets valued at Tk421.16 crore. Salman Fazlur Rahman, AL MP elected from Dhaka-1 seat, has assets worth Tk315.76 crore. AL MP from Cumilla-8, Abu Zafar Mohammad Shafi Uddin possesses assets totaling Tk306.68 crore. Ruling party MP from Sirajganj-5 Abdul Momin Mondal has assets valued at Tk253.24 crore.

The TIB analysis also reveals that 13 MPs illegally own more than 800 acres of excess land beyond the legal limit, violating the highest limit for owning land of 100 bigha as per the Land Reform Act 2023.

The anti-graft body called for confiscation of any illegal income and assets of the lawmakers of the 12th Parliament through due legal process, setting an example of accountability.

TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman emphasised, "As an example of the credibility of the ruling party's 2024 election manifesto, any illegal income and assets, should be confiscated following the due legal process. Therefore, we call for the distribution of some 800 acres of lands, illegally owned by the MPs, to the landless."  

On 26 December 2023, TIB launched a reported and a dashboard - Know Your Candidate (KYC) - analysing the electoral manifesto and affidavit of all candidates for election from the 9th to the 12th national parliament.