Bangladesh's new parliament faces questions as 43 newly elected lawmakers face murder charges

News Topical, Digital Desk : Following the recently concluded 13th national parliamentary election in Bangladesh, the credibility of the new government has already been questioned even before it is formed. According to a report by a leading civil society organization, 43 newly elected MPs face murder (Section 302) charges, fueling debate about political integrity and accountability.

Citing data released by 'Sushasaner Jano Nagrik' (Shujan), local media 'Daily Star' reported on Friday that 42 MPs were already facing such cases, while 12 had both old and existing criminal cases registered against them.

How many MPs are embroiled in legal cases?

A total of 142 MPs are currently involved in various legal cases, and 185 have had past litigation. Approximately 95 MPs have had prior or ongoing litigation. The highest percentage of current litigation cases is found among Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) MPs.

More than 50 percent of lawmakers from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which won a landslide victory in the recent elections, currently have pending cases. Jamaat-e-Islami is in second place, with about 47 percent of its lawmakers facing legal cases. Dilip Kumar Sarkar, chief coordinator of Shujan, presented details of an analysis of the affidavits of newly elected lawmakers at an event.

According to the report, compared to the 12th election, the number of winners involved in legal matters has increased this time. Furthermore, the proportion of highly educated MPs has also decreased. Of the 297 elected MPs, only eight have PhD degrees, 138 have postgraduate degrees, 93 have graduate degrees, 20 have higher secondary education, and 17 have secondary education.

What professions do MPs belong to?

While the elections and referendum have been described as largely peaceful, representation figures are also under debate. Of the 297 constituencies, 79 candidates were from religious and ethnic minority communities, of whom only four won. Business remains the most prominent sector in terms of occupation—182 MPs (about 61 percent) come from business backgrounds.

In addition, there are 36 lawyers, 22 teachers, 13 farmers, eight professional politicians, five from the service sector, and 27 from other professions. The wealth figures also reveal the social composition of the new parliament. The declared assets of 271 MPs exceed one crore taka, while 187 have assets exceeding five crore taka. Of the 209 BNP MPs, 201 are millionaires, while 52 of the 68 from Jamaat fall in this category.

Read More: Iran's top commanders are under threat! Targeted strikes are being prepared; a secret blueprint for a US attack has stirred the Middle East.