Affidavits for Gazipur mayoral polls show Zahangir’s income has fallen rapidly below Azmat’s

The residents of Gazipur have a general idea that Azmat Ullah Khan is far behind Zahangir in income and assets

Zahangir Alam, the sacked mayor of Gazipur who is running as an independent after losing the Awami League’s support, has seen an erosion in his income as well. 

However, residents of Gazipur are under the impression that Azmat Ullah Khan, who has won the ruling party’s ticket to run for mayor, is far behind Zahangir when it comes to income and assets. 

But Azmat has shown three times as much as the earnings of Zahangir. The sacked mayor is still ahead of Azmat in terms of immovable assets. 

Zahangir has two cars and two houses while Azmat has one car registered under his wife’s name and an under-construction house.     

Zahangir has more cash than Azmat but the former mayor’s cash assets have fallen rapidly, from Tk 74.8 million during the 2018 elections to Tk 4 million now. 

The candidates have detailed their wealth in statements submitted with nomination papers. 

Zahangir submitted the papers on Thursday, barely four months after the Awami League reinstated his membership on condition that he will never beach party discipline again. 

Zahangir won the party’s nomination and the election in 2018 as his influence grew immensely in Gazipur. 

The Awami League expelled him in November 2021 for the “breach of organisational discipline and working against party interests” after an audio of his comments on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the martyrs of the Liberation War spread in late September. The local government ministry suspended him as mayor. 

A defiant Zahangir said he would not step aside as he did in the 2013 elections that Azmat lost to the BNP candidate. 

ZAHANGIR: JUMP IN LAND, FALL IN INCOME 

During the 2018 polls, Zahangir showed 14 acres of land, including 0.33 acres of barren land. According to the latest affidavit he has submitted to the Election Commission, barren land owned by him has increased to 8.15 acre.  

Many arable pieces of land turned into barren land after changes were brought to the categories when Gazipur became a metropolitan, which might have been a reason behind the rise of barren land owned by Zahangir. 

Zahangir has Tk 50,000 deposited in the bank, against TK 155,971 shown in 2018. 

He has also Tk 4.7 million investment in Honourable Textile and Tk 2 million in Z Alam Apparels – Tk 1 million less in business than what he showed in 2018. 

He also has more than 400 grams of gold, a gun and a pistol – unchanged from the last election’s affidavit. 

His annual income from farming increased to Tk 220,000 from Tk 150,000 while rent from houses and shops remained unchanged at Tk 430,000. 

His income from business, however, fell to Tk 300,000 from Tk 9.42 million. He lost control of the scrap fabric business in Gazipur after being driven out of the party, which might be a reason behind the rapid fall in his income from business. 

His total income has eroded to Tk 950,000 from Tk 21.6 million. 

AZMAT: AHEAD IN INCOME 

Azmat, a lawyer, said in the affidavit he earns Tk 600,000 annually from advocacy. From savings certificates and bank interests on deposits, he earns Tk 62,505. 

As honorarium from three organisations involved in agriculture and garment business, he receives Tk 2.4 million. 

He also earns Tk 100,000 as royalty from two books he wrote on Bangabandhu. 

In total, Azmat’s annual income is Tk 3.1 million. 

He and his wife combinedly have around Tk 660,000 in cash. 

Azmat owns 1.4 acres of barren land. His wife has 2.37 acres. 

Zahangir has eight cases against him, including at least two over his comments on Bangabandhu. 

Azmat had faced three cases during the BNP-Jamaat-e-Islami government, but was cleared of all the charges after the Awami League came to power. 

“These cases stemmed from political animosity,” Azmat said. 

Zahangir could not be reached for comments on his assets and income, or the cases against him.