Campaign spending: Tarique to fund himself, Shafiqur mostly from party, Nahid relying on crowdfunding
TBS has analysed the likely campaign expenses of at least 70 candidates across 30 constituencies.
BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman plans to spend Tk30 lakh from his agricultural and bank deposits on campaign expenses in the upcoming national election.
Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Md Shafiqur Rahman plans to spend Tk10 lakh from his personal funds and Tk25 lakh from the party fund.
National Citizen Party (NCP) convener Nahid Islam has earmarked Tk1 lakh from personal funds and Tk44 lakh through crowdfunding for campaign spending.
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The information comes from the Election Commission. Aspiring candidates are required to submit detailed expenditure statements along with their affidavits, which the Commission has published on its website.
TBS has analysed the likely campaign expenses of at least 70 candidates across 30 constituencies.
The analysis shows that most BNP candidates plan to fund the majority of their campaign spending from personal resources. Jamaat candidates appear more dependent on donations and party funds, while most NCP candidates have indicated they will finance their campaigns primarily through crowdfunding.
Under the rules for the 13th parliamentary elections, scheduled for 12 February, candidates can spend up to Tk25 lakh. In constituencies with more than 2.5 lakh voters, candidates may spend an additional Tk10 per voter. This year, three constituencies have fewer than 2.5 lakh voters, limiting candidates there to the Tk25 lakh ceiling, while candidates in the remaining 297 constituencies may spend above this threshold.
BNP candidates' campaign spending
Tarique Rahman will contest from Bogura-6 and Dhaka-17, showing a potential campaign expenditure of Tk30 lakh per seat from his agricultural and bank deposits. Bogura-6 has 4.54 lakh voters, while Dhaka-17 has 3.34 lakh.
According to his affidavit, Tarique's total assets amount to Tk1.97 crore. For the 2024–25 fiscal year, he reported an annual income of Tk6.76 lakh, mainly from shares, savings certificates, bonds, and bank deposits.
He holds Tk31.58 lakh in cash and bank deposits in his own name, Tk66.55 lakh in his wife's name, and fixed deposits worth about Tk90.24 lakh.
BNP secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is contesting from Thakurgaon-1, which has 5.12 lakh voters, and has declared a potential campaign expenditure of Tk51.16 lakh.
His affidavit lists his occupation as business, with annual income exceeding Tk12 lakh. His movable and immovable assets total Tk1.53 crore, though he did not disclose a private car, 10 bhori of gold, and a double-barrelled shotgun.
BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed is contesting from Cox's Bazar-1, where there are 5.40 lakh voters, and has allocated Tk50 lakh from his own funds for the campaign.
BNP candidate Amanullah Aman from Dhaka-2, with 4.19 lakh voters, has declared a potential campaign expenditure of Tk25.17 crore. He lists Tk16.92 lakh from his own business and rent income and Tk25 crore from his wife's contribution, making his projected spending at least 60 times higher than the official limit.
Jamaat candidates' campaign spending
Md Shafiqur Rahman is contesting from Dhaka-15, which has 3.52 lakh voters. He has declared Tk10 lakh from personal funds and Tk25 lakh from the party fund, keeping within the official spending limit.
According to his affidavit, he earns Tk3.6 lakh annually from agriculture and other sources. His total assets are valued at Tk1.5 crore, including Tk60.76 lakh in cash.
He owns 2.17 acres of agricultural land worth approximately Tk17.71 lakh and earns around Tk3 lakh a year from it. He also holds shares worth Tk27.17 lakh in both listed and unlisted companies, including bonds.
Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar is contesting from Khulna-5, with 4.03 lakh voters. He has indicated potential campaign spending of Tk2 lakh from his own funds, Tk13 lakh in donations from relatives and supporters, and Tk15 lakh from the party fund.
Porwar lists his profession as business and former teaching, reporting an annual business income of Tk4.675 lakh. His declared immovable assets include non-agricultural land and buildings worth Tk1 crore at market value, acquired at Tk22.72 lakh. His movable assets include Tk5.9 lakh in cash and Tk7.247 lakh in banks, mostly with Islami Bank.
Naib-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, contesting from Cumilla-11 with 4.22 lakh voters, has declared Tk24 lakh in potential campaign expenditure, including Tk3 lakh from personal funds and Tk21 lakh in donations from relatives and well-wishers.
Taher, a physician and businessman, earns around Tk10.38 lakh annually from healthcare-related services. His affidavit shows immovable assets of about Tk1 crore, while his wife owns immovable property worth Tk4.64 crore.
NCP leaders rely on crowdfunding
Nahid Islam is contesting from Dhaka-11, which has 4.39 lakh voters. He has declared a total potential campaign expenditure of Tk45 lakh, including Tk1 lakh from personal funds and Tk44 lakh from crowdfunding, slightly above the voter-based spending guideline.
According to his affidavit, Nahid earns Tk16 lakh annually from consultancy work. His total assets amount to Tk32.16 lakh, including Tk19.5 lakh in cash and about Tk3.85 lakh in bank deposits.
Akhtar Hossain, member secretary of the NCP, is contesting from Rangpur-4, with 5.12 lakh voters, and has indicated potential campaign spending of Tk50 lakh, funded by Tk1 lakh from his own resources and Tk49 lakh via crowdfunding.
His annual income is Tk5.05 lakh, comprising Tk2.4 lakh from his job, Tk1.8 lakh from business, and Tk85,000 from agriculture. His movable assets total Tk27 lakh, including Tk13 lakh in cash and Tk2.99 lakh in a Dhaka Exim Bank account, while his wife holds Tk4 lakh in cash.
His immovable assets include ancestral agricultural land and a 100% plot in Kaunia, Rangpur, yet to be divided within the family.
Hasnat Abdullah, chief organiser of the party's southern region, is contesting from Cumilla-4, which has 4.11 lakh voters. He has declared Tk30 lakh from crowdfunding and Tk10.57 lakh from his own funds, staying within the voter-based spending limit.
His affidavit reports an annual income of Tk12 lakh and total assets of Tk50 lakh, including Tk26 lakh in gold and Tk13.5 lakh in cash. He lists his profession as business and has no loans in his or his family's name.
TIB: Candidates' spending far exceeds limits
According to Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), candidates in the last 12th parliamentary election spent an average of Tk1.568 crore each, six times the official spending limit.
Analysing data from 50 constituencies, TIB found that candidates from the Awami League (now banned) spent the most, averaging 11.45 times the prescribed limit per seat.
In the 2024 election, the highest spending in a single constituency reached Tk38.77 crore, while the lowest was Tk70,000.
TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman told TBS that politics is intended to serve public interest, and money is needed as a component of political capital.
"The problem arises when money together with the other two increasingly dominant factors like muscle and religion prevails over public interest and is treated as a profitable investment," he said.
He added that it is important for oversight bodies to ensure that money as political capital is clean and not dirty, sources and transactions are transparent, and spending is accountable.
