& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

78pc UZ contestants' tax records dubious

They do not pay tax or give tax info to RO

Staff Correspondent
Around 78 percent contestants in the election to 64 upazila parishads either do not pay income taxor did not provide their tax information to the returning officers and half the contestants are or were accused in criminal cases.
Contestants' submission of income tax information to the returning officer is mandatory.
Analysing information submitted by 1,083 candidates in three upazila parishad posts of the upazilas, Shushashoner Jannoy Nagorik (Shujan--Citizens for Good Governance) in a report yesterday revealed that out of the 444 chairman candidates only 147 (33.10 percent)
provided information about their tax-paying status and of them only 71 actually pay income tax.
As per the information given in the affidavits, 29 candidates own properties worth over Tk 1 crore each and one of them have assets worthTk 14.40 crore.
Among the 1,083 candidates, 372 are vice-chairman aspirants and 267 are women vice-chairman candidates in reserved scats.
Only 6.74 percent women vice-chairman and 19.35 percent vice-chairman candidates submitted information about their tax-paying status to the renirning officers.
In the report, Shujan also said over 50 percent
SEE PAGE 2 COL 5
FROM PAGE 1
of the chairman aspirants are businessmen while over 50 percent of the contestants were either accused of criminal offences earlier or are now facing criminal charges.
Sujan said it could not analyse information of candidates from all upazilas terming it a huge task. It said it tried to provide a concept about those vying for chairman, vice-chairman and women vice-chairman across the country and their educational qualifications, their professions and backgrounds. Sixty of the upazilas are district headquarters.
Some 8,130 people are contesting in polls to 480 upazila parishads scheduled for January 22.
Sujan President Prof Muzaffer Ahmed said the dominance of lawyers or other professionals like doctors, as evident earlier, is decreasing as capitalism in the country is thriving.
Sujan Secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar read the
report out at Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium yesterday.
Of the total 1,083 candidates, around 48 percent have graduate or post-graduate degrees, which is encouraging, 49.30 percent of them are businessmen, 7.94 percent service men and only 12.28 percent lawyers, Sujan observed.
Among the 444 chairman contestants, 57.66 percent are businessman and 16.21 percent are lawyers. Around 60 percent of them have gradua-tion or post-graduation degrees and only nine percent have education bellow the SSC level and 3.38 percent have primary' or below primary level education. Eighty-seven of them or 19.59 percent are now accused in criminal cases and 161 candidates or 36.26 percent were earlier accused in such cases.
The Sujan report stated that with campaign for upazila polls going on in full swing, the number of incidents of electoral code of conduct violation is huge. The Election
Commission itself accused newly-elected lawmakers of violating the electoral rules.
Traditionally the local government elections are held in non-partisan manner but allegations have been raised against political parties of giving nomination to party members and in some cases in exchange for money. Besides, allegations have been raised that influence of money is active and in some cases incidents of violence are taking place. Many are apprehending illegal activities like capturing of poling centres and snatching of ballot boxes on election day.
Sujan Secretary Badiul Alam Majumder said even though the election is supposed to be non-partisan, in many places rival candidates are being compelled to step aside, many of whom might be honest and competent. "It is reducing voters' choice for electing honest and competent candidates," he said. "It is not good for our democracy or the democratic system."