NewKerala.com

13 of 17 Jamaat Candidates in Dhaka Are Millionaires Ahead of Bangladesh Polls

As Bangladesh approaches its February parliamentary elections, affidavits show that 13 out of 17 candidates fielded by Jamaat-e-Islami in Dhaka constituencies are millionaires. The candidate for Dhaka-7, Md Enayat Ullah, leads with declared assets of approximately Tk 1.16 billion against liabilities of Tk 830 million. The party has ceded three Dhaka seats to alliance partners under a seat-sharing arrangement for the polls. The elections are proceeding amidst significant political tensions and internal dissent within allied parties.

Key Points: Jamaat's Millionaire Candidates in Dhaka for Bangladesh Election

  • 13 of 17 Jamaat candidates are millionaires
  • Enayat Ullah has highest assets (~Tk 1.16B)
  • Seat-sharing reduces Jamaat's direct contests
  • Election held amid political tensions
2 min read

Bangladesh polls: 13 out of 17 Jamaat candidates in Dhaka constituencies are millionaires

Affidavits reveal 13 out of 17 Jamaat-e-Islami candidates in Dhaka are millionaires, with one declaring assets over Tk 1.16 billion.

"The party's nominee in the Dhaka-7 constituency, Md Enayat Ullah, tops the list, with total assets estimated at approximately Tk 1.16 billion - Prothom Alo"

Dhaka, Jan 5

As Bangladesh heads towards its 13th Parliamentary elections in February, it has come to light that out of the 17 candidates fielded by the radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami in Dhaka's 20 constituencies, 13 are millionaires, local media reported on Monday.

The election affidavits revealed that the combined assets of the Jamaat candidates --movable and immovable -- amount to at least Bangladeshi taka(Tk) 10 million or more.

The party's nominee in the Dhaka-7 constituency, Md Enayat Ullah, tops the list, with total assets estimated at approximately Tk 1.16 billion, while his liabilities stand at roughly Tk 830 million, leading Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo reported.

According to the affidavits, Jamaat's leader Shafiqur Rahman is contesting from Dhaka-15, with declared assets worth approximately Tk 15 million.

Among other millionaire candidates are Mohammad Nazrul Islam in Dhaka-1 and Md Abdul Haque in Dhaka-2; the latter's nomination was cancelled at the scrutiny stage, but is open to appeal.

Four of Jamaat's Dhaka candidates, Mohammad Kamal Hossain in Dhaka-5, Md Abdul Mannan in Dhaka-6, Md Afzal Hossain in Dhaka-19, and Md Abdur Rauf in Dhaka-20, hold assets below Tk 10 million.

Enayat Ullah has the highest annual income among Jamaat candidates, earning Tk 68,635,000 annually, followed by SM Khaliduzzaman with an annual income of approximately Tk 36,400,000.

The affidavit showed annual incomes of other Jammat candidates, Kabir Ahmed earning around Tk 3.8 million per year, Syed Zainul Abedin about Tk 2.5 million, Muhammad Ashraful Haque Tk 2.3 million, Jasim Uddin Sarker 2.1 million, Abdul Baten Tk 1.6 million and Mir Ahmad bin Quasem approximately Tk 1.1 million.

Reports suggest that for the 13th parliamentary election, Jamaat has given up three of the 20 seats in Dhaka district and the city area under an electoral seat-sharing arrangement with alliance partners.

Of these, Dhaka-8 and Dhaka-11 have been allocated to the National Citizen Party (NCP), which has nominated Nasiruddin Patwari and Nahid Islam, respectively.

Dhaka-13 seat has been reportedly allocated to another ally, the Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis.

Bangladesh elections scheduled for February 12 are unfolding among escalating political tensions, with dissatisfaction within the NCP intensifying over its decision to align with Jamaat in the upcoming polls.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Interesting data. It shows how political participation often requires significant personal wealth, which can be a barrier for ordinary citizens. Hope the election process remains fair.
P
Priya S
Tk 1.16 billion in assets with Tk 830 million in liabilities? That's a massive debt. What business generates that kind of income to service such loans? The affidits need deeper scrutiny, for sure.
R
Rohit P
As a neighbour, we want to see stable, democratic governments in the region. Elections influenced by money and radical ideologies are a concern for the entire subcontinent's peace.
M
Michael C
The article is informative, but it focuses heavily on the financial aspect of one party. It would be more balanced to see similar data for all major parties contesting. Context is key.
K
Kavya N
The alliance tensions mentioned at the end are telling. When partners are unhappy, it shows the compromises made for power. Hope the people of Bangladesh choose wisely for their future.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50