The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has initiated formal inquiries against five more senior officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) over allegations of amassing illegal wealth through corruption, abuse of authority, and favouritism.
The officials facing inquiry are Abdul Rashid Miah, additional commissioner, Large Taxpayers Unit (VAT); Md Lutfur Azim, member; Md Alamgir Hossain, former additional director general, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID); Md Shihabul Islam, deputy tax commissioner, Tax Zone-16, Dhaka and Md Tarek Hasan, joint commissioner.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, ACC mentioned that certain NBR personnel enabled tax evasion by accepting substantial bribes from business entities, thereby depriving the government of considerable revenue annually.
In some cases, NBR officials are accused of colluding with taxpayers to manipulate payable tax amounts.
Furthermore, the statement reveals that taxpayers who made advance or excess payments were routinely subjected to delays and demands for bribes — often up to half the refund amount — in order to reclaim their dues.
Complaints and record reviews suggest this malpractice has become widespread, read the statement. "In instances where officials failed to receive expected bribes, they allegedly filed baseless tax evasion cases to harass businesses."
Additionally, several of the named officials reportedly aided individuals and firms in evading tax, VAT, and occasionally income tax during their tenure across various postings, enriching themselves unlawfully, it added.
The ACC confirmed that the investigation into these allegations remains ongoing as part of its broader effort to curb institutional corruption and uphold accountability within the public sector.
The move comes amid NBR officials' ongoing movement under the banner of NBR Reform Unity Council, demanding the removal of the board's chairman and structural reforms of the board instead of its dissolution.
ACC on Monday initiated an inquiry against six NBR officials, including the president of NBR Reform Unity Council, on allegations of corruption and nepotism in providing illegal benefits to individuals and institutions over the past 15 to 20 years.
At a press briefing, ACC Director General Akhtar Hossain said, "The decision was made following the recommendation of the preliminary scrutiny committee, which reviewed the complaints submitted to the commission."
The officials are AKM Badiul Alam, member (Income Tax Policy); Mirza Ashiq Rana, additional tax commissioner, Tax Zone-8, Dhaka; Mohammad Morshed Uddin Khan, joint tax commissioner, BCS Tax Academy; Monalisa Shahreen Sushmita, deputy tax commissioner, Tax Zone-16, Dhaka; Hasan Tarek Rikabder, additional commissioner, Audit, Intelligence and Investigation Directorate, VAT, Dhaka; and Sadhan Kumar Kundu, additional commissioner, Customs, Excise and VAT Commissionerate, Dhaka (South).
