As the days are looming, details of wealth are coming out for aspirants of 10th Parliament. Members those got elected in the 9th parliament and also contesting in the 10th parliamentary election have submitted their wealth report to Election Commission (EC) and magnitude of their declared wealth surprised many readers. Particularly, some of the elected representatives scaled up their wealth in the last 5 years. Did they somehow manage Aladdin’s lamp helping them amass such an amount of wealth?
It appears that the wealth of Abdul Mannan Khan, former Awami League state minister for housing and public works and his wife, have increased 107 times in the last five years, from Tk10.33 lakh to 11.32 crore. Moreover, the wealth of Nuran Fatema, the wife of environment minister Hasan Moudud has increased 2,290 times from having assets worth Tk 60,000 in 2008 to Tk 13.74 crore in 2013. The former minister`s own wealth has multiplied four times from Tk 37,57 lakh to Tk1,72 crore.
Many readers might recall that Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) had brought allegation of corruption against the environment ministry in the allocation of the climate change fund. Minster, however defended his position and slammed TIB report terming it, “a fancied, wrong one prepared without any study”. It would be interesting to see how Minster explains huge increase in wealth.
The wealth of Jahangir Kabir Nanak and his wife has increased by 8 times, from Tk97.84 lakh to Tk8.28 crore.
Nanak and his wife had cash Tk 11.55 lakh before the last polls. Now they have in hands cash Tk 93.39 lakh together, eight times higher than the previous figure. Chief Whip in Parliament Abdus Shahid and his wife has increased 3.02 times in last five years though.
It is quite interesting to note that many ruling party leaders have mentioned of different professions in the affidavit. To start with Prime Minister, she has largely had her income from agriculture. However, her cousin and Awami League leader Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim has become wealthier in last five years as his property doubled during her rule.
Communication Minister has identified himself as columnist in the newspaper while explaining his sources of income in the affidavit submitted to EC. Comrades of grand alliance are also innovative in their approach. Both Manon and Enu mentioned, “Talk-show” as major source of income.
Interestingly, Finance Minister has appeared to be a share trader. Though he termed many things including share trade as ‘Bogus’, he mentioned himself as trader in the share market as revealed in the affidavit submitted to EC. It also reveals that he is a debtor who took Tk35 lakh from Janata Bank.
If they get elected again, would they get another lamp from Aladin?
BDST: 1620 HRS, DEC 21, 2013
Edited by: Ershadul Alam Prince; Law Editor
