Despite the coronavirus pandemic, some 3,412 people have entered the list of millionaires in Bangladesh over the last few months.

Experts said the coronavirus pandemic has not affected the business or income of rich people. Besides, the government policy to allow black money whitening also helped increase the number of new millionaires.
Bangladesh Bank’s latest data show the total number of account holders with at least a million taka deposit has increased to 86,037 in June this year from 82,625 in March.

However, the number of millionaires decreased to 79,877 at the end of September 2019 after the launch of the anti-casino drive in the country.

Khandaker Ibrahim Khaled, former deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank, said though the income of common people has declined during the corona pandemic, the income of a group of rich people has increased.

The growing number of millionaire depositors in banks is proof of that, he said.

He also said a class of people robs money from banks in the name of borrowing and they might also keep the money in banks.

Ibrahim Khaled also said a large number low-income group of people lost their income and savings amid the coronavirus pandemic.
ABM Mirza Azizul Islam, former advisor of a caretaker government, said the success of the country’s economic growth has not reached the rural people yet.

He said big loans defrauders are eating up most of the benefits of economic growth due to lack of good governance.

“But the money is being deposited to the bank without being trafficked. It is a very hopeful sign”

He said income discrimination has increased in the country, as a result, the rich are getting richer.

Wealth-X, a New York-based research firm, in 2018 reported that the number of high net-worth (HNW) individuals in Bangladesh will rise by 11.4 per cent in the next five years.

In the list of fastest-growing countries in the world, Bangladesh has been ranked third in terms of the rise in rich population, said the World Ultra Wealth Report 2019.