BNP's Sarwar wealthiest among mayoral candidates

BNP mayoral candidate Mojibur Rahman Sarwar is wealthiest among the contestants in Barisal City Corporation Election with annual income of Tk 48.70 lakh from business, law practice, agriculture and other sources.

Sarwar, also the first elected mayor of BCC and a former MP, has Tk 95 lakh in cash, 4.63 acres of land, three flats, one tin-shed house, and three SUVs -- revealed in the affidavit on wealth, educational qualification, sources of income, and records of being accused in criminal case, if any, given to the Election Commission.

The BCC polls, scheduled for July 30, will be limited between the candidate nominated by Awami League, Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah (Barisal city AL joint secretary) and Sarwar.

The other mayoral candidates are: Manisha Chakraborty of Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal, A K Azad of Communist Party of Bangladesh, Obaidur Rahman Mahbub of Islami Andolon Bangladesh, and Prof. AKM Mahbub Alam of Khelafat Majlis.

Apart from the BNP and CPB nominated candidates, the rest are contesting in the BCC polls for the first time.

CPB candidate AK Azad lost his security deposit in the 2008 BCC election.

In 2008, Sarwar's annual income was Tk 6.06 lakh which means his annual income has increased eight-times in the last 10 years. In 2008, he had Tk 51.67 lakh in cash, according to the affidavits he submitted to the EC.

Twelve cases, most of which are political, were filed against Sarwar between 2007 and 2015.

Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, who is self-educated, has annual income of Tk 8.31 lakh and has Tk 8.81 lakh in cash. His source of income is business and rent from houses and shops. Besides, he has plot at Purbachal and a flat at Niketan in Dhaka and a reconditioned car.

AKM Mahbub Alam of Khelafat Majlis, a master's degree holder, is a retired college teacher with annual income of Tk 4.43 lakh.

The CPB's mayoral candidate AK Azad is an LLB degree holder and has annual income of Tk 2.4 lakh. He has Tk 11.2 lakh in cash.

Obaidur Rahman Mahbub of Islami Andolon Bangladesh is a madrasa teacher with Dawraye Hadith degree. His annual income is Tk 2.16 lakh with no cash money in hand.

Manisha Chakaborty, the only female mayoral candidate of Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal is an MBBS doctor with annual income of Tk 1.8 lakh. Two cases were filed against her.