Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has reported that 59.41 percent of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) candidates in the upcoming 2026 national election are indebted. The findings were released on Thursday at a press conference presenting TIB’s report titled “Candidate Profiles in Affidavits 2026.” The analysis, based on candidates’ affidavits, shows that the total amount of debt among candidates is the highest compared to the last four elections since 2008.

Although the percentage of indebted candidates has decreased, the total debt now stands at nearly 1.9 trillion taka, up from over 1.74 trillion taka in the 2024 election. Among the ten most indebted candidates, eight are from the BNP and two are independents. The highest individual debt exceeds 315.5 billion taka, belonging to an independent candidate from Brahmanbaria, followed by four BNP candidates each with debts exceeding 10 billion taka.

TIB’s analysis also found that BNP leads in the number of millionaire candidates, with 71.86 percent of its nominees classified as millionaires based on declared assets.