20% of newly elected reserved seat MPs have loans, says SHUJAN

Ten out of the 50 newly elected members of parliament (20%) from the reserved women's seats in the 13th Jatiya Sangsad have loans and liabilities, while 37 MPs (74%) possess assets worth more than Tk1 crore, according to a civil society organisation Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN).

The asset figures also include the wealth of dependants.

The findings were presented today (7 May) at a press conference titled "Presentation of information on newly elected MPs from reserved women's seats in the 13th national parliament" held at the National Press Club.   

SHUJAN Chief Coordinator Dilip Kumar Sarkar presented the findings in the presence of SHUJAN Secretary Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar and others.

Presenting information on loans, Dilip said ten of the elected MPs have loans and liabilities, and among them four have liabilities exceeding Tk1 crore. All four were elected from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

The top 10 loan recipients named at the briefing were Selima Rahman, Helen Jerin Khan, Shirin Sultana, Nipun Roy Chowdhury, Shakila Farzana, Sultana Ahmed, Sanjida Islam and Fahmida Haque from BNP, and Sabikun Nahar Munni and Mardia Mumtaz from Jamaat-e-Islami.

SHUJAN also said the top 10 earners among the 50 elected MPs, including dependants' income, were all from BNP. Four of them reported annual incomes exceeding Tk1 crore.  

The top earners included Shamima Ara Begum Swapna, Jahrat Adib Chowdhury, Shakila Farzana, Helen Jerin Khan, Anna Minz, Sultana Ahmed, Sanjida Islam, Nipun Roy Chowdhury, Bithika Binta Hossain and Selima Rahman.

Among the elected MPs, 13 earn Tk5 lakh or less annually, while 19 earn between Tk5 lakh and Tk25 lakh, five earn between Tk25 lakh and Tk50 lakh, and two earn between Tk50 lakh and Tk1 crore. Seven MPs did not disclose income information.

At the press conference, SHUJAN proposed introducing direct elections for reserved seats and alleged that many candidates submitted incomplete affidavits to the Election Commission, describing incomplete disclosure as a form of concealing information.  

The organisation said 78% of the 50 MPs from reserved women's seats are highly educated, with 30 holding postgraduate degrees and 14 graduate degrees. Among them, two passed HSC, one passed SSC and two identified themselves as self-educated, while one did not disclose educational qualifications.

According to the findings, 13 of the MPs are lawyers, ten businesspersons, four teachers, one service holder and five homemakers. Six currently face cases, while 21 had faced cases in the past.

Highlighting regional disparities in nominations, Dilip said Dhaka division, which has 13 districts, received 19 nominations for reserved seat MPs, whereas Rangpur division, despite having eight districts, received only two nominations. He said at least 50 districts could have been represented if all districts were considered equally.

Badiul said the best way to increase women's representation in parliament would be through a rotational system with direct elections, similar to India's panchayat system. He also criticised the Election Commission for failing to properly verify affidavits and ensure mandatory submission of income tax returns by candidates.