At least two candidates contesting the 13th national parliamentary election concealed their dual citizenship in affidavits, while several others hid details of overseas assets, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) said Thursday.
The findings were revealed at a press conference to release the report “Candidate Profiles in Affidavits 2026” and launch the KYC (Know Your Candidate) Dashboard.
TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said 21 candidates claimed to have renounced dual citizenship, but reliable information shows at least two still hold dual nationality. “The two were or remain British citizens who deliberately concealed the information. Relevant authorities will be informed,” he said.
The briefing also revealed undisclosed overseas assets. One candidate owns about Tk210 crore in the UK under a dependent’s name. Another declared no overseas assets despite a Dubai flat registered to his wife. In other cases, candidates understated flats abroad, failed to declare companies, or omitted information on tax-haven-linked entities.
Iftekharuzzaman criticized the Anti-Corruption Commission, the National Board of Revenue, and the Election Commission for failing to properly verify candidate information.
According to the report, 51 political parties are contesting the election, with 1,981 candidates in total—87% party-nominated and 13% independents. Women make up 4.02% of candidates, while men account for 95.98%.
More than 48% of candidates list business as their main profession; 1.56% cited politics. Legal and teaching professionals make up 12.61% and 11.56%, respectively. A total of 1,696 candidates are first-time contestants.
Education levels are the highest in recent elections: 28.37% are graduates, 47.98% postgraduates, 8.94% higher secondary, and just over 6% secondary education.
In assets, 891 candidates are millionaires, including 27 with over Tk100 crore. A total of 530 candidates has cases filed against them; in 259 cases, spouses or dependents own more assets than the candidates. Annual income data show over 28% earn up to Tk375,000, while more than 29% earn over Tk15.75 lakh. Spouses or dependents of 118 candidates own more buildings or flats, and for 164 candidates, dependents own more land. Overall, 97.25% submitted their Tax Identification Number.
