Bangladesh: 236 newly elected MPs are millionaires, many facing debt
Dhaka, Feb 16 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) At least 236 of the newly elected MPs in Bangladesh’s 13th Parliamentary election are millionaires, while nearly half are set to enter Parliament carrying significant debt, local media reported on Monday, citing the anti-graft watchdog — Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB).
Addressing a press conference in Dhaka on Monday, TIB researcher Mohammad Touhidul Islam unveiled a study titled ‘Thirteenth National Parliament Election Process and Affidavit-Based Observation’, outlining a picture of the assets, liabilities and professional status of the newly elected Members of Parliament.
As per the findings of the TIB, 236 newly elected MPs are millionaires, accounting for 79.46 per cent of the total Members of Parliament, with 13 among them being billionaires.
The data showed that among the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) lawmakers, 189 are millionaires, representing 90.87 per cent of the party’s newly elected Members of Parliament, while Jamaat-e-Islami has 38 millionaires, constituting 55.07 per cent of its parliamentary strength, Bangladesh’s leading Bengali daily Bonik Barta reported.
The number of millionaire MPs based on movable assets stands at 184, with their total declared movable assets amounting to Bangladeshi taka (Tk) 9 crore.
Meanwhile, 167 MPs are millionaires in terms of the value of immovable assets, each owning at least three buildings, apartments, farms or gardens.
Simultaneously, TIB has also highlighted the debt burden faced by Members of Parliament.
According to the study, around 49.83 per cent of the current members of Parliament are in debt, compared to 52 per cent in the 2024 election.
Reports suggest that party-wise, 62.02 per cent of BNP members are in debt, while Jamaat MPs have a debt rate of 15.94 per cent.
According to the report, the total debt of newly elected Members of Parliament reached Tk 11,356 crore–the highest among the previous four parliamentary terms. It noted that all of the top 10 MPs with the largest debt burden are newly elected representatives of the BNP.
The analysis also shed light on the income of Members of Parliament, stating that 67.34 per cent of members of the 13th Parliament earn more than 1 million taka annually, while 48 members of Parliament have an income exceeding 1 crore taka.
Additionally, the list of the top 10 highest-earning MPs includes nine from BNP and one member of Jamaat. With a declared annual income of over 59 crore 16 lakh taka, the highest annual income reportedly belongs to Zakaria Taher, a BNP’s elected candidate from Comilla-8 constituency.
With Tarique Rahman set to lead Bangladesh — following BNP’s decisive victory in the 13th Parliamentary election — experts warn that the nation faces a massive challenge of overcoming the widespread corruption and instability that marked the 18-month tenure of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.
