Online Desk:

Some 67 per cent of lawmakers elected in the just concluded 12th parliamentary election are businessmen while as many as 90 per cent of them are millionaires.

The number of businessman and millionaire MPs has increased in the current parliament compared to the previous 11th parliament.

Non-government organisation Shushasoner Jonya Nagorik (SHUJAN) mentioned it at a virtual press conference on Tuesday (January 23) morning, analyzing the information submitted by the MPs in their affidavits to the Election Commission (EC).

Dilip Kumar Sarker, central coordinator of SHUJAN, mentioned the findings.

He told at the press conference that the occupation of 200, out of the 299 elected MPs, is business. The number of businessmen was 185 or 61.66 per cent of total elected MPs in the previous parliament.

Of the elected MPs, 193 have aeests worth over Tk 5 crore, while 269 have assets worth over Tk 1 crore which is 89.97 per cent. The number was 247 in the previous parliament or 82.33 per cent.

SHUJAN said the number of higher educated MPs has also increased in the current parliament. As many as 82.60 per cent of the MPs of the current parliament are graduates compared to 81 per cent in the 11th parliament.

The organisation’s secretary Badiul Alam Majumder said the report was prepared based on the information submitted by the candidates in their affidavits. But the Election Commission does not scrutinise the affidavits submitted by the candidates. So, there are discrepancies and wrong information in the affidavits by the candidates.