Half of by-polls candidates businessmen

About 50 percent of aspirants for the April 2 by-election in six constituencies are businessmen, revealed a report of Shushashoner Jannoy Nagorik (Shujan) yesterday.
The report based on the candidates' information states that 31 percent of the women nominated for the reserved seats in the parliament are millionaire and sources of income of most of them come from their businesses.
Shujan presented the report at a press conference titled 'Information Disclosure of Female Candidates in the Ninth Parliament and By-election to Reserved Seats for Women' at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity (DRU) auditorium.
Nominating candidates mostly from business orientation proved that political parties could not come out of the business orbit, said Secretary of Shujan Dr Badiul Alam Majumder.
He apprehended that the parliament would ultimately be turned into a 'club of millionaires and businessmen'.
Educational qualifications of most of the candidates, however, are good. Only 10 percent of them are under SSC level, the report of Shujan disclosed.
The report also found a total of 36 percent of those nominated from Awami League (AL) are below HSC level while Jatiya Party and BNP candidates are highly educated.
People would come to know more details about the candidates' educational qualifications, source of income and if there are cases filed against them, said Syed Abul Moksud.
"It is very unfortunate that a large number of AL aspirants for the reserved seats for women are less educated," he said adding that if the parties selected suitable candidates they could play their roles like a upper house in the parliament.
The report also revealed that there are cases against a large number of women nominated for the reserved seats.
Cases are running against some 14 percent of the AL and 40 percent of the BNP nominated candidates. Even the only one candidate nominated from Jatiya Party has 17 cases filed against her.
As per the Representation of People Order (RPO) nominations were supposed to be finalised in line with recommendations from grassroots levels but unfortunately it happened otherwise and still the dynasty is deciding nominations, the speakers said.
The by-election will be held on April 2 in Kurigram-2, Rangpur-3, Rangpur-6, Bogra-6, Bogra-7 and Kishoreganj-6 constituencies.