Dhaka City Polls: Politics is turning into a business

Most of the contestants in the coming Dhaka city polls own businesses, finds a report by Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik.

Terming the trend alarming, the civil society organisation said politics was gradually turning into a business because of the involvement of too many businessmen.

Shujan, which works on election affairs, prepared the report after examining the affidavits of 740 contestants.

The findings were unveiled at a press conference at Jatiya Press Club yesterday.

Elections to Dhaka north and south city corporations are scheduled for February 1.

About 73 percent candidates in Dhaka north and about 74 percent in Dhaka south are businesspersons. In 2015, when the last polls took place, businesspeople constituted 67 percent in the north and 71 in the south. 

It indicates that the tendency among businesspersons to enter politics is growing, it said.

The business people who will win are likely to focus mostly on expanding their businesses and not serve their voters, the report observed.

On education of the contestants, the report said almost two-thirds of the councillor hopefuls studied up to SSC-level.

However, most of the mayor candidates are highly educated.

Besides, most of the councillor candidates are accused in one or multiple cases, it added.

The report urged the Election Commission to ensure level-playing field, and impartial polling officials and law enforcement agencies.

It also called upon the EC to take tough measures against those who provided false information in the affidavit and breached the code of conduct.

Shujan Secretary Badiul Alam Majumder said business people’s participation in national election had already increased, and they were becoming increasingly involved in local government polls.

“It means, our politics is about to turn into business,” he said.

He also criticised the EC for not taking action against the breaches of conduct.

“We repeatedly requested for tax information of the candidates, but the EC didn’t give it. Finally, we were forced to issue a legal notice.”

The EC’s decision of using Electronic Voting Machines was not right as the devices can be manipulated without being detected, he said.

Shujan President M Hafizuddin Khan said the EC should scrutinise the affidavits immediately and take steps against the candidates who gave false information in affidavits.

Shujan Central Coordinator Dilip Kumar Sarkar said the campaigners had been violating the code of conduct from the very beginning of the campaign.

“The EC has engaged 43 executive magistrates to deal with the issue, but their effectiveness is yet to be seen,” he added.