48 graft accused contest elections

A total of 48 candidates including 27 from BNP and 17 from Awami League (AL), who have been charged with corruption, are contesting the ninth parliamentary election from various constituencies across the country.
Besides, at least 100 candidates including 34 from BNP and 24 from AL are facing murder cases and of them, two have been awarded life imprisonment on murder charge, said a Shushashoner Jannoy Nagorik (Shujan) survey report based on affidavit and tax returns of the candidates.
Shujan Secretary Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar made public the survey report at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital.
The organisation recently published a report on 102 constituencies and has a plan to publish another survey report on the candidates who would win the next election, said Badiul.
The survey also revealed that charge sheets against many of them have already been submitted.
A total of 87 grand alliance candidates including 67 from AL while 102 four-party alliance candidates including 88 from BNP are facing cases on various charges.
Besides, 14 candidates from Jatiya Party (JP), 12 from Jamaat-e-Islami, three from Islami Andolon Bangladesh, five from Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and 22 independent candidates are also facing cases on different charges.
At least 139 candidates from BNP and 101 from AL, 22 from JP, 12 from Jamaat, eight from Islami Andolon Bangladesh and 44 independent candidates had faced cases in the past.
According to the survey, of the 2,500 parliamentary aspirants, who submitted nomination papers, 865 had no Tax Identification Number (TIN) while 493 candidates have no TIN numbers.
Citing several reports published in newspapers, the survey said 21 war criminals are contesting the elections.
The survey also revealed that of the candidates, 130 have no educational qualification while 305 passed SSC or HSC, 555 completed graduation and 557 have post-graduation degree but 32 candidates did not mention their educational qualification.
Of the nominees, 214 from AL and 198 from BNP competed graduation or post-graduation while 46 AL and 45 BNP candidates passed SSC or HSC.
Ten Jaiya Party candidates and three Jamaat candidates passed SSC or HSC exams.
Of the candidates without educational qualification, six are from AL, five from BNP, three from Jatiya Party and two from Jamaat.
Of the BNP nominees, 157 are businessmen while Awami League has given nomination to 136 businessmen, Jatiya Party to 36 and Jamaat to 15.
Badiul said since a large number of businessmen are contesting the polls it could be assumed that the bulk of the members of the next parliament will be from the business community like the earlier parliament where two-thirds lawmakers were businessmen.
Such a trend will hamper 'implementation of representative democracy,' said Badiul.
Since many criminals and corrupt people have been given nomination for contesting the elections, there is a possibility that if elected they would engage in criminal activities and corruption, he added.
Shujan President Prof Muzaffer Ahmad said it is essential to get good people elected as parliamentarians in order to have a 'good parliament.'
Stressing the need for an effective parliament, he suggested introducing a system to review the lawmakers' presence in parliament sessions and their performance in the parliament.
Former advisers to caretaker government ASM Shahjahan and M Hafizuddin Khan were also present.