Taposh wealthier than Ishraque, but Tabith has more assets than Atiqul

Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, the Awami League candidate for Dhaka South mayor, is wealthier than his rival the BNP’s Ishraque Hossain.

Moinul Hoque Chowdhurybdnews24.com
Published : 1 Jan 2020, 10:56 PM
Updated : 1 Jan 2020, 10:59 PM

But in Dhaka North, the BNP’s Tabith Awal has more assets than the Awami League’s Atiqul Islam has.

A total of 14 candidates for the mayor elections in the two city corporations, 834 for general councillors’ posts, and 191 for councillor posts reserved for women submitted their wealth statements in affidavit along with the nomination forms to the Election Commission on Wednesday.

The commission will screen the papers on Thursday. The aspirants will start campaign after allocation of symbols on Jan 10, a day after the deadline for nomination withdrawal ends. The voting will be held on Jan 30.

In Dhaka South, both Taposh and Ishraque are new candidates.

Taposh, the 48-year-old lawyer who has resigned from parliament as a member to run for the mayor's office, has not changed the information about his wealth from the affidavit he had provided during the general election a year ago.

His annual earnings include Tk 14.65 million as a lawyer, Tk 660,000 from “job”, and over Tk 4.2 million from house or apartment rent.

He has Tk 260 million in cash, Tk 352.2 million in fixed deposit receipt or savings certificates, and Tk 432.755 million in shares and bonds.

He and his wife own land worth around Tk 125 million, buildings or apartments worth Tk 122 million and cars worth over Tk 30 million.

BNP candidate Ishraque Hossain submitting his nomination form at the office of the returning officer in Gopibagh on Tuesday for the mayoral election to Dhaka South City Corporation. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Son of late Sadeque Hossain Khoka, the last mayor of the undivided Dhaka City Corporation, Ishraque earns Tk 424,000 from business, Tk 425,000 from interests on deposits or dividends from shares, around Tk 3.55 million from “job” and over Tk 4.6 million from other sources annually.

He has over Tk 13 million worth of bank deposit, shares of around Tk 30 million, Tk 4.2 million in savings certificates, and Tk 2 million worth of other movable assets.

The BNP candidate, 33, owns land worth over Tk 6.2 million and buildings or apartments worth Tk 1.5 million.

In the North, Mayor Atiqul won a by-election last year amid boycott by the BNP, whose candidate Tabith lost to late Awami League-backed Mayor Annisul Huq in the 2015 elections.

Awami League candidate Atiqul Islam submitting his nomination form at the office of the returning officer in Agargaon on Tuesday for the mayoral polls to Dhaka North City Corporation. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

Atiqul, 58, is an apparel entrepreneur. He owns 16 companies.

His annual income is more than Tk 1.9 million, one-third of which comes from business. The other sources of his income include agriculture and rents of houses, apartments or shops.

Atiqul owns movable assets worth over Tk 48 million and immovable Tk 75 million.

Besides debts of his firms, he has a house loan of around Tk 10 million.

The information has not changed much from the affidavit he had submitted during the by-election.

The former BGMEA chief still has no car bought against his name.

BNP candidate Tabith Awal submitting his nomination form at the office of the returning officer in Agargaon on Tuesday for the mayoral polls to Dhaka North City Corporation.

The income and assets of his rival Tabith, 41, have increased a lot from what he had shown during the 2015 elections.

Tabith has ownership of 37 firms now. His annual income is over Tk 40 million  

The movable assets he owns are worth around Tk 456 million. He also has around 75 acres of land and two apartments.