35pc of election candidates have no income tax records: SHUJAN

Out of the 2,026 candidates contesting the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election, nearly 35 per cent (707 individuals) do not have publicly available income tax records, according to data from civil society organisation Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN), report agencies.
The findings were presented at a press conference organised by SHUJAN at the Jatiya Press Club in the capital on Saturday.
Under Bangladesh's election regulations, candidates are required to submit proof of filing income tax returns (ACK Receipt) along with their nomination papers. However, the rules do not mandate the disclosure of spouses' or children's tax information.
SUJAN's analysis showed that among political party candidates, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) nominees were the most compliant with tax rules, followed by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami candidates, while independent candidates ranked third.
Of the 1,319 candidates who did pay income tax, 479 (36.3 per cent ) paid Tk 5,000 or less.
Meanwhile, 358 candidates (27.1 per cent) paid more than Tk 0.1 million, and 116 candidates (5.7 per cent) paid over Tk 1.0 million.
An additional 132 candidates submitted only Tax Identification Number (TIN) certificates without filing returns.
Regarding declared annual income, 832 candidates -- about 41 per cent -- reported earning below Tk 0.5 million, while 95 candidates declared annual incomes exceeding Tk 10 million.
Compared with the 12th National Parliamentary Election, the proportion of candidates earning below Tk 0.5 million has declined slightly from 45 per cent to 41 per cent, while those earning above Tk 10 million dropped from 8.77 per cent to 4.59 per cent.
SHUJAN data further shows that 741 candidates earn between Tk 0.5 million and Tk 2.5 million annually, 132 earn between Tk 2.5 million and Tk 50 million, and 71 earn between Tk 5.0 million and Tk 10 million. A total of 155 candidates did not disclose their income in their affidavits.
Among those earning more than Tk 10 million, 51 are BNP nominees, 25 are independents, and five are from the Jatiya Party.
The organisation also listed the top 10 highest-earning candidates. Leading the list is BNP candidate Zakaria Taher of Cumilla-8, with an annual income of around Tk 600 million.
Independent candidate Md Asadul Islam of Tangail-1 follows with about Tk 400 million, while Zakir Hossain Patwari of Islami Andolan Bangladesh in Lakshmipur-1 ranks third with nearly Tk 190 million.
Other candidates in the top 10 include BNP's Mirza Abbas (over Tk 9o million), independent Salauddin Alamgir (over Tk 80 million), BNP nominees Salahuddin Ahmed, Md Jasim Uddin, Kaiser Kamal, independent Shafikul Islam Rahi, and BNP nominee Redowan Ahmed, whose incomes range from Tk 40 million to Tk 65 million.
SUJAN noted that income tax compliance has improved since the previous election, rising from 47.3 per cent to 65.1 per cent.
SHUJAN Secretary Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar cautioned that lax enforcement by the Election Commission could create complications and potential legal challenges.