Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has criticised the local government system for neglecting public interest.
It said that candidates of Upazila Parishad Election often prioritise personal wealth accumulation over serving the public within the realm of politics.
An analysis of the last decade elections of Upazila Parishad by TIB showed that incumbent candidates exhibited substantial growth in both income (540.68 per cent on average) and movable assets (211.98 per cent).
TIB released the analysis and observations of the affidavits of candidates in the 6th Upazila Parishad Election-2024 (Second Phase) at a press conference at its office in the capital on Sunday.
Ikramul Haque Evan, TIB's Assistant Coordinator of Outreach and Communication, unveiled the findings and observations.
Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, TIB's Executive Director; Professor Dr. Sumaiya Khair, Adviser Executive Management, TIB; and Assistant Coordinators of the research team Rifat Rahman and K.M. Rafiqul Alam were also present at the event.
The conference was presided over by Mohammad Tauhidul Islam, TIB's Director of Outreach and Communication and the lead of the research team.
According to TIB, there exists an unhealthy competition among candidates aspiring for public office, viewing it as an opportunity to amass income and assets.
In their scrutiny of the candidates' affidavits for the second phase of the Upazila Parishad polls, TIB underscored a significant trend: incumbent public representatives experienced a marked increase in income and assets over the past five years compared to new candidates.
This pattern suggests a direct correlation between holding political power and wealth accumulation.
An analysis of the last decade elections showed that incumbent candidates exhibited substantial growth in both income (540.68 per cent on average) and movable assets (211.98 per cent).
Conversely, first-time candidates experienced a 56.47 per cent uptick in income while observing a decrease of 45.44 per cent in movable assets over the same period.
On average, incumbent candidates saw their income rise by 140.61 per cent over the last five years, whereas new candidates witnessed a 77.44 per cent increase.
The analysis revealed a similar trend in movable assets, with incumbent candidates averaging a 231.62 per cent increase, while new candidates showed a 100.33 per cent rise.
Notably, not only did the candidates enhance their own financial standings, but their spouses and dependents also showcased similar upward trajectories in income and assets.
At the event, TIB Executive Director (ED) Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said women's election participation is below 2.0 per cent, while businesspersons participate unilaterally.
He added that one-party dominance and family-oriented power grabs are prevalent in local elections now.
Mentioning that the link between power and wealth gain is clear for public representatives who have been in power for a long time, the TIB ED mentioned, "Long-serving public representatives clearly link power and wealth. Incumbents significantly increase their wealth, leading to unhealthy competition for public representation. Often, the focus shifts from public welfare to wealth accumulation. Authorities show little interest in verifying or investigating the unusual wealth increases declared in affidavits."
The TIB analysis revealed a significant presence of businesspersons in local government elections. Compared to the 4th election, the 6th election saw an 8.0 per cent increase in businessperson candidates, bringing the total to 57 per cent.
The breakdown is as follows: 70.51 per cent of chairman candidates, 68.73 per cent of vice chairman candidates, and 29.26 per cent of female vice chairman candidates are businesspersons. Interestingly, 51.63 per cent of female vice chairman candidates identified as homemakers, and among these homemakers, 14.55 per cent earn a living from businesses.
According to the second phase analysis, the income of one chairman candidate skyrocketed by 10,900 per cent in the past five years, and the highest increase over the last decade was 5,336 per cent. Movable assets saw an even greater increase, with the highest being 11,666 per cent in the last five years.
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