Wealth rise not unusual when in power

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has said a person's wealth increases and lifestyle improves when he is in power.
"[You] look at the world history. Power is always an advantage. When humans were barbarians most of the tribal leaders became wealthy. This is normal," he said while submitting his income tax return online at his secretariat office yesterday.

His wealth statement shows that his asset value has increased by 7.98 percent annually to Tk 1.58 crore over the last five years, which is below the average rate of inflation. When he took oath as a minister in 2008, he owned assets worth Tk 1.14 crore.  
But the wealth of many ministers and ruling party MPs multiplied by several times within the period, as per the wealth statements submitted to the Election Commission ahead of the national polls. That has raised questions in the public domain about the source of their fortune.
When his attention was drawn to the issue, Muhith said that if one was in public service there was nothing wrong in having one's wealth increased.
He added he himself had a gain in his wealth and had seen his living cost go up.  
Muhith, however, said that if anybody had enjoyed an abnomal gain in his wealth, the Anti-Corruption Commission that, according to him, was an independent body, would look into the matter. The intelligence unit of the National Board of Revenue will also conduct an inquiry.
He will give separate instructions to the NBR, he added.
But as an explanation for the giant leaps of wealth of some MPs and ministers, the finance minister said the country had witnessed development and so their businesses grew.  
Muhith continued that in his view the people's representatives should make public their wealth statements.
His opinion was then sought regarding the Sunday move when an AL delegation led by former home minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir met the chief election commissioner and expressed their opposition to making public the wealth statements of polls candidates.
"I don't know. It does not go with my culture. I submit my tax return openly every year," Muhith said.
If the Awami League returns to power, he said, he would move to drop the disputed clause of the anti-corruption law, which made it compulsory for the anti-graft body to get government permission before filing a charge sheet against a public servant.