In the upcoming national polls, 571 candidates from different parties and independents have declared immovable assets worth at least Tk1 crore, with 18 among them possessing assets valued at Tk100 crore or more, according to the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB).

The prevalence of candidates with immovable assets worth Tk1 crore is notably higher in the upcoming election compared to previous ones, with the count being 274 in 2008, 202 in 2014, and 552 in 2018.

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

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According to TIB, approximately 21.20% of the candidates possess assets ranging from Tk1 crore to Tk10 crore, 4.62% have assets worth between Tk10 crore and Tk50 crore, 1.07% own assets valued between Tk50 crore and Tk100 crore, and an additional 1.07% have assets exceeding Tk100 crore.

Around 72.09% of the candidates have assets valued at less than Tk1 crore.

In the 12th national polls, the majority of candidates with assets worth at least Tk1 crore are affiliated with the ruling Awami League, numbering 235. Following closely are independents, with 163 of them having assets worth Tk1 crore.

In contrast, 47 candidates from Jatiya Party, 17 from Jatiya Party (JP), 7 from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, 6 from Trinamool BNP, and 5 from Bangladesh Workers Party possess assets worth at least Tk1 crore.

In the elections of 2008, 2014, 2018, and 2024, the percentage of candidates possessing assets worth at least Tk1 crore within Jatiya Party were 35.59%, 25.58%, 31.65%, and 20%, respectively. For the Awami League, the corresponding percentages of millionaire candidates are 27.94%, 61.54%, 83.15%, and 86.96%, respectively.

Table: TBS
Table: TBS
The BNP, which has boycotted the next election, had 44.71% millionaire candidates in 2008 and 51.32% in 2018.

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

Other candidates with an assets surpassing Tk100 crore mark include SAK Ekramuzzaman, an independent candidate affiliated with the ruling Awami League in Brahmanbaria-1 seat, holds assets valued at Tk421.16 crore. Salman Fazlur Rahman, the Awami League candidate for the Dhaka-1 seat, boasts assets worth Tk315.76 crore. In Cumilla-8, Awami League candidate Abu Zafar Mohammad Shafi Uddin possesses assets totaling Tk306.68 crore. Yusuf Abdullah Harun, an Awami League candidate in Cumilla-3, reports assets worth Tk277.61 crore. Independent candidate Dilip Kumar Agarwala in Chuadanga-1 has assets amounting to Tk276.19 crore, while Abdul Momin Mondal, an Awami League candidate from Sirajganj-5, declares assets valued at Tk253.24 crore.