Dhaka, Sept 20:
Bangladesh’s Awami League on Saturday raised alarm over the rapid rise of new millionaires in the country, claiming that more than 10,000 individuals have accumulated immense wealth in the past 8–10 months while ordinary citizens face deepening poverty under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.
According to the party, Bangladesh is gripped by severe economic recession, with unemployment soaring past 8 per cent and the poverty rate nearing 28 per cent. Hundreds of factories have closed, foreign investment has nearly dried up, and 2.6 million people have lost their jobs. Meanwhile, the cost of essential goods has skyrocketed, leaving ordinary families struggling to survive. The Awami League noted that post-Covid GDP growth has plummeted to just 3.97 per cent.
Quoting data from Bangladesh Bank’s Banking Statistics Report, the party said 10,928 new millionaire accounts were added in just 8–10 months, bringing the total number to 127,336 as of June 2025. Particularly striking, the party said, is that 87 per cent of these new millionaires are under 30 years old, and more than 2,000 have not yet completed their studies.
“Who are these people, and how are they accumulating such abnormal wealth while millions sink deeper into poverty?” the Awami League asked. The party warned that unchecked inequality and opaque wealth growth could trigger long-term social unrest.
“Three million people have lost jobs, foreign investment is nearly zero, yet over 10,000 new millionaires have emerged. This growing disparity is fueling grave concern. Without strong regulatory oversight and transparent policies, the gap between the wealthy elite and ordinary citizens will widen dangerously,” the statement read.
Earlier, the Awami League alleged that Bangladesh is undergoing its worst crisis in over a decade, driven by militancy, economic collapse, unemployment, and social unrest under the Yunus regime.
