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Published : 22 Jan 2026, 09:32 PM
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has raised concerns over the information presented in the candidates’ affidavits for the parliamentary elections, particularly regarding foreign citizenship and assets.
The Bangladesh chapter of the Berlin-based Transparency International, a global corruption watchdog, said it has reliable information that at least two candidates hold or had British citizenship, yet they did not disclose this in their affidavits.
The affidavits also fail to inform about assets owned by candidates and their wives and companies candidates have established in countries known as tax havens.
The organisation also expressed concern over candidates with debts, noting a trend of misrepresenting information in affidavits ahead of the country’s polls.
TIB shared its findings on candidates’ affidavits at a press conference on Thursday.
Under the Representation of the People Order, candidates for parliamentary elections are required to declare dual citizenship and submit proof of renunciation of foreign nationality along with their affidavits.
“In this election, 21 candidates have declared acquisition and renunciation of foreign citizenship in their affidavits. However, at least two candidates skipped declaring their dual citizenship despite TIB having verified information indicating they hold or held British citizenship,” said Iftekharuzzaman, executive director, TIB.
One candidate has a dependent with a property in the UK purchased in 2013 worth 1.4 million euros, or roughly Tk 200 million, which was not disclosed by the candidate’s affidavit.
Citing reliable sources, the TIB said a shell company registered in Dubai was used to acquire the property.
Another candidate did not declare any personal foreign assets, yet owns a flat in Dubai under his spouse’s name, it said.
Another candidate declared ownership of three flats abroad, but the actual number is at least three times, with a potential investment value of around Tk 350 million, it added.
There is a candidate who said he did not own any foreign business, but TIB’s investigation found a total of 11 companies under his ownership, eight of which are actively engaged in commercial activities.
A candidate concealed information about his company registered in a tax haven, though the information is well known to the public, the TIB said.
According to TIB, 25.5 percent of all candidates in the parliamentary elections have some form of debt or liability, totalling Tk 188.68 billion.
While this is the lowest proportion of indebted candidates in the last five elections, the total debt amount is the highest, the TIB said, adding the bank loans account for Tk 174.71 billion of the total debt.
Many wealthy candidates also have debts far exceeding their declared assets.
INCREASE IN ‘ISLAMIST’ CANDIDATES, DECLINE IN WOMEN
Islamist party candidates constitute over 36 percent of all candidates, the highest in the last five elections.
TIB’s report notes that a total of 51 political parties are contesting in the parliamentary elections, with 1,981 final candidates, around 13 percent of whom are independents.
None of the parties, including those proposing a 5 percent quota for women in the July Charter, have met their targets.
“While the proportion of Islamist party candidates has increased to 36 percent, most of these parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, have no female candidates,” said Iftekharuzzaman.
Overall, only 3.38 percent of party candidates are women, while they make up 10 percent of independent candidates.
