POLITICS OF FORTUNE

Awami League lawmaker barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh and his wife have made at least Tk67.72 crore in last five years, a 29-fold increase, according to his affidavit submitted to the Election Commission.
In 2008, they had a total wealth worth about Tk2.43 crore. Now they have at least Tk70.15 crore, excluding the price of his cars.
The lawmaker now has Tk66.13 crore and his wife Tk4.02 crore against Tk2.31 crore and Tk11.44 lakh five years ago.
Formerly, he had 50 percent stake in a piece of land, a building and 75 percent stake in a 10 katha plot. But his latest wealth statement shows that he solely owns the 10 katha plot which is now worth Tk2.47 crore. Also, he has one Tk1.04 crore apartment and a tea estate/fish farm/rubber plantation worth about Tk12.91 crore.
His wife also has two plots in Dhanmondi worth Tk1.66 crore and a tea estate/fish firm/rubber plantation worth about Tk1.03 crore.
MOVEABLE ASSETS
Taposh, nephew of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in his 2008 wealth statement had showed moveable assets, including cash in hand, deposit in banks, shares and bonds, postal and saving certificates, gold, electronic items and furniture, worth Tk1.65 crore and his wife Tk9.44 lakh.
But this time around, his affidavit mentions that he owns moveable properties of about Tk47.58 crore  and his wife Tk1.12 crore.
The legislator has a cash of Tk6.03 crore in hand against Tk89.5 lakh five years ago. Interestingly, his wife now has a cash of Tk50,000, which was Tk6.34 lakh in 2008.
The AL leader had a bank deposit of Tk1.98 lakh, which has now inflated to Tk6.02 crore. His wife had no money in bank in 2008, but now she has Tk24.73 lakh.
According to his 2008 affidavit, Taposh had 3,300 stocks worth Tk3.3 lakh and his wife had none. But now he holds 3.20 crore shares worth more than Tk32.14 crore and his wife has 7,500 shares worth Tk7.50 lakh.
Previously, the couple had savings certificates of Tk33.70 lakh. Now they have savings certificates worth Tk3.66 crore.
The lawmaker had two cars worth Tk26.75 lakh. The Daily Star could not learn about the vehicles owned now by the MP and their prices as the scanned copy of his affidavit on the Election Commission's website missed the section.  
In 2008, the couple had gold worth Tk6.61 lakh. They now have gold of Tk35.45 lakh. They now own furniture and electronic items of Tk16.85 lakh against Tk7.19 lakh worth of those previously.
In addition to these assets, Taposh has a 50 percent stake in a piece of two bigha 10.5 katha arable land and a commercial building at Motijheel. The lawmaker, however, made no mention of the prices of the land and the building in any of the two affidavits.
SOURCES OF INCOME
Taposh and his wife had yearly incomes of Tk21.89 lakh and Tk2 lakh five years ago. Now he earns more than Tk2.12 crore annually from agriculture, house rent, legal profession, share and savings interests and remuneration as an MP. His wife earns Tk21.39 lakh annually from business and share/savings interests.
He has liabilities of Tk3.37 lakh for house rent now, which was Tk44.99 lakh in 2008.

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Ahmed Humayn Kabir Topu, from Pabna

State Minister for Home Shamsul Haque Tuku is one of the fortune makers of the present cabinet whose wealth swelled to about six times that in 2008.
Back then, Tuku, elected from Pabna-1 constituency, and his wife only had Tk 75.50 lakh in wealth and properties but now it is an astounding Tk 4.35 crore.
His movable assets were worth Tk 2.73 lakh in 2008 but now they are valued at Tk 1.36 crore now, an increase of 50 times.
His wife had wealth worth Tk 41.62 lakh in 2008 and now she has about Tk 1.51 crore, an increase of more than three and a half times, according his wealth statement submitted to the Election Commission this month.
The annual income of the state minister has increased 7.41 times in the last five years and his sources of income have also widened.
In 2008, Tuku had earned Tk 2.05 lakh from his law practice and he had no other sources of income. But now the state minister earns of Tk 15.19 lakh annually from agriculture, house rent, share and deposit and salary.
Tuku's cash in hand has decreased significantly. He had Tk 1.54 lakh in 2008 which is now Tk 3,500. He had a bank deposit of Tk 19,000 in 2008 which has now become Tk 16.06 lakh.
Tuku and his wife had no bonds, shares, postal savings or cars before 2008. Now they have two DPS and FDR worth more than Tk 1.85 crore and a vehicle valued at Tk 71.40 lakh.
Tuku also accumulated huge immovable assets in the last five years. Tuku had only 3 bighas of arable land 3 kathas of non-agricultural land worth Tk 9 lakh in 2008.
He now owns a 5-katha piece of non-agricultural land worth Tk 49.77 lakh, a house in Pabna worth Tk 10.50 lakh and a flat worth Tk 25 lakh.
He claimed that he got the flat as a gift.
Tuku's wife had a flat valued at Tk 20 lakh before the 2008 election but now she owns a building in Pabna, which the couple claim is worth just Tk 1 lakh, and three flats (1 inherited and 2 donations/HEBA) worth Tk 44 lakh.    
In the wealth statements, Tuku mentioned that he has Tk 65.47 lakh in loans, reports our Pabna correspondent.

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Hasan Jahid Tusher

State minister for law Qamrul Islam's assets grew by eight times since the 2008 elections but his wife, who used to earn Tk 10,000 a month, appears to be penniless now.
According to Qamrul's wealth statement submitted to the Election Commission, his wife Toyeba Islam has no cash, bank deposits, properties or gold ornaments.
In 2008, Toyeba, apart from her monthly income, had Tk 5,000 in cash and Tk 10,000 in the bank, according to the statement Qamrul submitted ahead of the last polls.
Qamrul had wealth and properties worth Tk 16.67 lakh in 2008 and now he has assets worth Tk 1.34 crore.
The state minister now owns a building he valued at Tk 10.75 lakh, which is incredible considering construction cost and prices of land in the country. He, however, did not mention where the building was but said he earns Tk 1.08 lakh a year renting out floor space/shops/flats/houses.
He had no cars in 2008 but now he owns a vehicle worth Tk 61.65 lakh, the wealth statement said.
Qamrul earns Tk 5.73 lakh a year from his job as state minister and Tk 93,304 by appearing in talk shows on TV.
The state minister had Tk 4.32 lakh in cash ahead of the last election which has dropped to Tk 3 lakh, according to his two wealth statements.
He had prize bonds worth Tk 20,000 but now he has none. In 2008, he had 30 tolas of gold but in this month's statement he said he has only 10 tolas gold worth Tk 1 lakh.
He had Tk 3.88 lakh in bank deposits and now he has 18.14 lakh in the bank.
In 2008, Qamrul had only four kathas of non-agricultural land which he got for Tk 3.61 lakh. In this year's statement he did not mention how much land he owns but said it was worth Tk 29.98 lakh.