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The dominance of businesspeople is prevalent in the third phase of the sixth upazila elections, with 67 per cent of chairman candidates belonging to the business community.
Among the chairman candidates, 106 are millionaires. Apart from the chairman aspirants, 11 vice-chairman candidates and five candidates for vice-chairman posts reserved for women are millionaires.
Anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on Monday revealed the information at a press conference held at TIB office at Dhanmondi after analysing the affidavits submitted to the Election Commission ahead of third phase upazila polls, UNB reports.
In the third phase, elections to 90 upazila parishads are going to be held on May 29. Though, the EC has scheduled to organise elections in 112 upazilas. Of them, Pirojpur Bhandaria Upazila’s all candidates are elected unopposed. Election to two upazilas has been postponed for another reason while 18 for cyclone ‘Remal’.
According to TIB, 66.53 per cent chairman candidates in the third phase upazila parishad election mentioned themselves as businesspeople while second highest 12.6 introduced themselves as farmers.
Besides, lawyers (7.69 per cent) and teachers (4.37 per cent) are in third and fourth positions respectively.
Moreover, 68.99 per cent vice-chairman aspirants introduced themselves as businessmen and 48.54 per cent candidates for vice-chairman posts reserved for women have addressed themselves as housewives while 32 per cent as businesspeople, the TIB said.
In the second phase of upazila parishad election held on May 21, 71 per cent chairman candidates were businessmen and their total number was 105 while in the first phase upazila election held on May 8, 70 per cent were from the business community.
In the press conference, TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said it’s a big question that the businessmen are involved in politics through proper channels or not and are they using politics as a tool of getting benefits.
Information shows that when they remain in power as representatives of the people, their income and wealth are being increased abnormally. As a result, the priority of mass people's interest gets less importance, he added.
TIB said like the Jatiya Sangsad election, candidates from the business community are dominating local body elections and this domination is on the rise.