The overall academic qualification of Dhaka City polls candidates has fallen, though that of mayoral candidates has gone up, according to a report by a civil society platform.
The number of businessmen contesting in the upcoming Feb 1 polls is higher than that in last one held in 2015, says the Shushashoner Janyo Nagorik (SHUJAN).
The pre-election analysis was presented before media on Saturday (Jan 25) at National Press Club in Dhaka.
According to the report, more and more businessmen are contesting in elections.
The civil body fears that the matter will provoke commercialism instead of social welfare among public representatives. It also describes the trend as a “sign of strengthening de-politicisation.”

MORE BUSINESSPERSONS VYING FOR PUBLIC OFFICE
Fifty percent (three out of six) mayoral candidates of Dhaka North City Corporation are businesspersons, which include ruling Awami League’s Atiqul Islam, BNP’s Tabith Awal and PDP’s Shahin Khan.
Among others, Communist Party of Bangladesh’s Ahammad Sajedul Haque is a doctor, Islami Andolon Bangladesh’s Sheikh Fazle Bari Masud is a teacher while NPP’s Anisul Rahman Dewan identifies himself as a social worker.
In the documents filed with returning officers, over 80 percent of the candidates (203 out of 248) vying for councillor have marked their professions as business. Nine have not mentioned their profession.
Around five percent more businesspersons are contesting in Dhaka North as councillors while in Dhaka South it's around 11 percent.
SHUJAN says the scenario will “obviously result in a negative outcome.”

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFIFATION AMONG MAYORS
Five out of six Dhaka North mayoral candidates are highly educated.
Among them, three are graduates and two have post graduation degrees while another has no academic qualification.
Three of the seven Dhaka South mayoral candidates cited their educational qualification as nil in documents filed with the returning officer while two have Masters' degrees and the remaining a graduate.
According to SHUJAN’s analysis, the number of "least-educated" councillor candidates is dominating. However, the number retains the rate (66.74 percent) of previous city polls held in 2015.
Meanwhile, the rate of "highly-educated" councillor candidates dropped slightly in comparison with city polls in 2015.

LAWSUITS AGAINST CANDIDATES
SHUJAN’s report reads, a case was filed against CPB’s Dhaka North mayoral candidate Haque in past while the others have never prosecuted.
Among Dhaka South mayoral candidates, two are currently accused in cases while three had lawsuits against them in past.
According to SHUJAN’s findings, councillor candidates of Dhaka North includes, 99 accused in ongoing cases and in Dhaka South, 109. The rates among total candidates are respectively 29.91 percent and 26.65 percent.
POLLS CODE VIOLATION
SHUJAN’s report says that Awami League and BNP’s mayoral candidates are violating the code of conduct since filing nomination.
The candidates went to submit nomination with crowd ignoring the regulation.
Apart from that, the report mentioned various violations, including using sound equipments beyond the set time, campaigning at places of worship, motorcades for campaign, demolishing contestant’s camp.