They claimed themselves to be farmers or agriculturists, but many neither possess land nor have any real connection to farming.
A review by TIMES of Bangladesh of candidates who, in their affidavits, declared farming or agriculture as their profession or a major source of income revealed the inconsistencies.
While they publicly present themselves as agriculturists, it was found that many appear to have little or no real connection to farming. Several do not go to fields, lack practical knowledge of agriculture, and depend mainly on business or other income sources.
Experts have described this falsification as sheer dishonesty by the aspirants, undermining electoral transparency.
Among the 115 candidates who identify as farmers or agriculturists, 25, or around 21.74 per cent, state that they own no agricultural land at all. Yet many of them still report substantial farming income.
The highest declared agricultural income is about Tk1.14 crore, disclosed by BNP candidate Asadul Habib Dulu from Lalmonirhat-6. The lowest agricultural income is Tk12,000, declared by Bangladesh Khefat Majlis aspirant Md Zulfikar Hossain from Bagerhat-3.
Notably, 20 candidates who describe themselves as farmers reported total annual incomes exceeding Tk10 lakh. For example, BNP candidate M Rashiduzzaman Millat from Jamalpur-1 declared agricultural earnings of Tk37.6 lakh. Asadul Habib Dulu reported owning 36.512 acres of land alongside his Tk1.14 crore in farm income.
On the other hand, five candidates own agricultural land but say they earn nothing from it. Md Shamsul Haque from Jessore, contesting under the BNF banner, owns 3.30 acres but reports zero agricultural income.
Business income often dominates, even for those claiming to be farmers. Thirty candidates earn far more from business than from farming. BNP candidate Md Sadik Riaz from Dinajpur-2 declares Tk1.8 lakh from agriculture but Tk27.5 lakh from business—over 15 times more. Another BNP candidate, Md Abdul Majid from Jhenaidah-2, reports Tk70,000 from farming but Tk38.4 lakh from business.
A particularly striking pattern emerges among landless candidates. Twenty-five candidates list their agricultural land as “zero” or “none”, yet 20 of them still claim farm incomes ranging from Tk1 lakh to Tk4 lakh.
Md Abu Said Chand from Rajshahi-6, a BNP candidate, says he owns no land but earns Tk3 lakh from agriculture. He told TIMES that family land remains undivided among siblings and that his share of the harvest adds up to that amount, dismissing deeper scrutiny.
Similarly, Md Abdur Rahman from Shariatpur-1, under the National Citizens Party (NCP), also reports owning no land but claims Tk4 lakh from farming, without explaining the source.
The most puzzling cases involve landless candidates reporting unusually high agricultural income. Zahirul Islam Mintu from Madaripur-1 declares Tk9.5 lakh from farming despite owning no farmland. Tahamida Islam Tania from Natore-2 lists no immovable assets but reports Tk8 lakh in agricultural income.
Others include Md Abdur Rahman from Shariatpur-1 with Tk4 lakh, Md Shahidul Islam Fahim from Patuakhali with Tk1.62 lakh, and Md Rahmatullah from Bagerhat, who claims Tk6.45 lakh from inherited land not registered in his name.
In many cases, business appears to be the real source of wealth. Md Abdul Majid from Jhenaidah-2, for example, owns over 16 acres but earns only Tk70,000 from agriculture, while making more than Tk38 lakh from business.
Independent candidate AZM Rezwanul Haque from Dinajpur-5 owns more than 15 acres but reports Tk2.33 lakh from farming and Tk30.19 lakh from business. Md Lutfor Rahman Khan Azad from Tangail-3 owns nearly three acres but reports no agricultural income at all.
Some affidavits appear to defy basic agricultural logic. Md Tofazzal Hossain from Tangail-7, of the Bangladesh Republican Party, states that his wife owns just 0.09 acres, yet he claims Tk9.5 lakh in agricultural income. Md Kazal Bhuiyan from Gazipur, with Ganoforum, reports Tk3 lakh from the same amount of land—an unusually high return.
By contrast, genuine marginal farmers show much smaller figures. Md Zulfikar Hossain from Bagerhat, with Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis, earns only Tk15,000 a year from agriculture.
Experts say the pattern points to a deeper problem. Agricultural income is tax-free in Bangladesh, creating strong incentives to mislabel business or other earnings as farm income. Some may also underreport land productivity to conceal assets.
Abdul Alim, a former election reform commission member, told TIMES that many candidates declare farming despite clear mismatches between land, income and actual occupation. He said verifying affidavits is time-consuming, and current election schedules do not allow for proper scrutiny.
He called for a joint task force involving the Election Commission, the National Board of Revenue and the Anti-Corruption Commission, along with longer verification timelines.
Sabbir Ahmed, a professor of political science at the University of Dhaka, said such inconsistencies damage public trust and weaken democratic credibility. He said institutional weaknesses allow candidates to exploit loopholes for financial and legal advantage.
Both experts stressed that without a strong verification system, the voices of real farmers risk being drowned out by what they described as a growing class of “paper farmers” in politics.
