Phenomenal rise in income of many Jan 5 polls candidates

FE Report
Incomes of some 48 candidates of the upcoming parliamentary polls, who are also holding different key positions of the government, went up on an average by 582 per cent during the last five years, according to the statistics compiled by the Sushasoner Jonno Nagorik (Sujan).
The Sujan has compiled the income and wealth statistics of the candidates on the basis of the affidavits, submitted by the latter with the Election Commission (EC).
The civil society platform while releasing the statistics at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity Friday said the income of the ruling party whip Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury went up by 32,985 per cent in last five years.
Dr. Shahdeen Malik, a senior lawyer and constitutional expert who was present at the press conference said many of the January 05 polls contestants had amassed wealth through violation of constitution. He said for this offence, treason charge could be brought against them (the contestants in question).
The affidavit data showed that the income of some ministers rose by 243 per cent, state ministers 464 per cent, and deputy speaker of parliament, chief whip and whip by 3071 per cent during the period.
Sujan secretary Badiul Alam Majumder at the conference said they have analysed the income and wealth-related information submitted by the candidates, who are contesting the 10th parliamentary polls by holding key positions of the state, in 2008 and 2013.
"We're extremely surprised after seeing the sizes of their income and wealth they acquired in the last five years," he said.
He said as per the affidavit of the candidates, the income of whip Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury (Liton) has increased by 32,985 percent, followed by M Mahbubur Rahman 8,422 per cent, deputy speaker Shawkat Ali 4,435 per cent, Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr Afsarul Ameen 2,480 per cent and Environment and Forests Minister Hasan Mahmud 2,036 per cent.
He said the income of the Prime Minister has also gone up 136 per cent during the same time.
Mr. Majumder said the income of Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury, in monetary terms, has increased by about Tk 150 million while that of Mahbubur Rahman by nearly Tk 20 million and Hasan Mahmud by over Tk 20 million.
According to the data, income of the whip was at Tk 448000 in 2008 when people dependent on him had no income but the income of the whip and his family members stood at Tk 148.82 million in 2013.
The Sujan secretary said the wealth of Noor-E-Alam has increased by over Tk 410 million (6,424 per cent) while that of Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir over Tk 170 million, Hasan Mahmud about Tk 150 million, Dr AFM Ruhal Haque Tk 100 million, Suranjit Sengupta about Tk 80 million and Abdul Mannan Khan over Tk 70 million.