Time Digital Report: Awami League candidate from Chattogram-7 (Rangunia) and Information Minister Hasan Mahmud's loans nearly doubled in the last five years, although his wealth has not increased.
His wife's wealth (both moveable and immovable) has decreased at the same time.
In the affidavit submitted to the Returning Officer (RO) in 2023, it was found that Hasan Mahmud currently has loans of Tk 2.28 crore.
In his affidavit before the 2018 national election, he mentioned that he had loans of about Tk 1.21 crore, which means, his debt increased by Tk 1.07 crore in the past five years.
However, there was no change in his income and assets in that period. Annual income in the affidavit was unchanged in most sectors.
While he did not have any income from the agriculture sector in 2018, this time his income from the sector was shown as Tk 1,30,000.
According to the affidavit, his annual income was Tk 2,77,000, excluding the allowance received as a member of parliament and minister. The corresponding amount was Tk 1,80,000 in 2018.
Apart from a bank loan of Tk 1.25 crore from Global Islami Bank, he has taken a loan of Tk 91 lakh without a mortgage. He also took a loan of Tk 12 lakh from his brothers.
Despite the increase in debt, the affidavit did not show much change in moveable and immovable temporary assets. The moveable assets have been shown as Tk 20,57, 250 this time, which was shown as Tk 19, 95,000 in 2018.
According to his affidavit in 2018, he had 64,000 shares of a company at the rate of Tk 10 per share but this time it has increased to 71,225 shares -- as a result, temporary assets have increased slightly.
In this year's affidavit, the amount of money and cash deposited in banks or financial institutions was shown as Tk 12.30 lakh, down from Tk 12.60 lakh in 2018.
Besides, he has five bhoris of gold ornaments and his wife has 50 tolas of gold.
The moveable assets of his wife have increased slightly due to the increase in the number of shares of the company of which she is a shareholder but her assets have decreased.
The moveable and immovable wealth of his wife are shown as Tk 10.35 crore, down from Tk 11.24 crore in 2018. That means the wealth of his wife has decreased by about Tk 89 lakh in the past five years.
