Court slaps travel ban on him, first wife, son
Removed from Sonali Bank’s board too
The government in its latest move on Monday removed Matiur Rahman from the position of director of state-run Sonali Bank PLC, a day after his removal from the National Board of Revenue (NBR).
Matiur has come into the spotlight recently after controversy over his wealth and source of income.
Meanwhile, a Dhaka court on Monday issued a travel ban against former NBR official Matiur Rahman, his first wife Layla Kaniz, also chairman of Narsingdi's Raipura upazila, and their son Ahmed Toufikur Rahman Arnab.
It is believed that Matiur has already fled the country before the court imposed travel ban on him, his wife and son.
Though his mobile phone kept ringing, the calls went unanswered. Even his WhatsApp showed that he last used the app at 12:34pm on Monday afternoon.
This was so far the only trace that former NBR member Matiur Rahman was not a figment of a collective imagination. None could know his whereabouts.
At the NBR headquarters in the capital’s Agargaon, officials were found whispering of his escape. He had fled the country, they said.
NBR official sources said Matiur did not attend his office after Eid holidays, which ended on June 18.
Police sources said they could not know the whereabouts of Matiur. They believe Matiur might have fled the country through unofficial channel.
Media reports have also surfaced about Matiur's possible whereabouts.
Some say he escaped through the Akhaura Land Port, a matter confirmed to one newspaper.
One report even claimed that he had "shaved his head" to avoid detection, which also stoked further discussion about whether he had been wearing a wig the entire time.
The advice was allegedly given by a syndicate with some expertise in trafficking people abroad.
An NBR official, seeking anonymity, said that Matiur was still in the country.
Referring to past moves against him – the Anti-Corruption Commission had investigated the allegation of graft four times in the past – the official said, "He has overcome the odds before. He will probably manage to do so again."
Matiur's "disappearance" mimics that of former inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed. After a hoard of his illegal wealth came under scrutiny, Benazir vanished.
He was summoned to the ACC twice but failed to appear on each occasion.
According to sources, the Financial Institutions Division (FID) sent a letter to the Sonali Bank chairman, asking for taking necessary steps along with recommendations to remove Matiur from the post of director.
At the same time, the ministry recommended that Finance Division Additional Secretary Mohammad Abu Yusuf be appointed as a new director to replace Matiur in the Sonali Bank board.
The letter, signed by FID Joint Secretary Meenakshi Barman, reads, "It is being recommended to take necessary action to remove Dr Md Matiur Rahman from the board of directors of Sonali Bank."
The development comes a day after the government asked Matiur not to attend the board meetings of Sonali Bank.
He was appointed as a director of Sonali Bank in February 2022 for three years.
Earlier on June 23, NBR Customs, Excise and VAT Appellate Tribunal President Matiur Rahman, also a member of the board, was removed from his post.
He was attached to the Internal Resources Division (IRD) of the Finance Ministry, according to a ministry notification. It said the decision will be effective immediately.
Matiur was given no specific designation in his new role, effectively making him an Officer on Special Duty (OSD).
This marks the first time in history that an NBR tribunal president has been removed from their position.
On the same day, the Anti-Corruption Commission launched an inquiry into the allegations of amassing illegal wealth and money laundering by Matiur.
The controversy surfaced after Matiur's son Mushfiqur Rahman Ifat posted a photo of a sacrificial goat on social media and claimed to have bought it for Tk 12 lakh.
This recent scandal has brought significant attention to the lavish lifestyles of both families of Matiur Rahman, who has children from two marriages, and raised questions about his suitability for the directorship at Sonali Bank.
Court slaps travel ban on Matiur Rahman, first wife, son
Meanwhile, a Dhaka court has issued a travel ban against former NBR official Matiur Rahman, his first wife Layla Kaniz, who is the chairman of Narsingdi's Raipura upazila, and their son Ahmed Toufikur Rahman Arnab.
Senior Special Judge Mohammad Asams Joglul Hossain of Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Court passed the order on Monday following a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
ACC Lawyer Mir Ahmed Ali Salam attended the hearing on behalf of the anti-graft commission, said Tapas Kumar Pal, the additional public prosecutor of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court.
Properties owned by Matiur's first wife
Matiur Rahman's first wife, Layla Kaniz Lucky, is the upazila parishad chairman of Narsingdi's Raipura and a retired associate professor of Government Titumir College.
The former Bangla literature teacher was elected unopposed as the chairman of Raipura Upazila Parishad in February last year.
In her affidavit submitted to the Election Commission, Layla Kaniz disclosed owning 25.7 bighas of land spread across Dhaka, Gazipur, Narsingdi, Jashore, and Natore.
She also mentioned possessing four flats valued at Tk1.61 crore in the same building on Mazar Road in the capital's Mirpur.
However, according to the builder company, each floor of the building contains four apartments, each spanning 1,500 to 1,600 square feet, with prices ranging from 5,500 to 8,000 taka per square foot.
Even at the minimum rate, the value of these four flats totals at least Tk3.30 crore.
Additionally, the affidavit mentioned another flat valued at Tk55 lakh without specifying its address alongside her ownership of a fish farm.
Layla Kaniz identified her profession as a businesswoman in the affidavit.
However, the document only listed her father's name without mentioning her husband's name and asset details, as required by regulations.
Among her property holdings, Layla Kaniz disclosed the acquisition cost of 13 non-agricultural lands totalling Tk4.24 crore across five districts.
Details on the pricing of the remaining nine non-agricultural and agricultural lands were not provided in the affidavit.
Apart from the affidavit, records from the land office indicate an additional two bighas of land registered under Layla Kaniz's name across four locations in Morjal Mauza of Narsingdi's Raipura upazila.
In her income tax return for the 2023-24 fiscal year, Layla reported a total wealth of Tk10.03 crore, which includes Tk3.56 crore in cash and bank deposits, as well as a capital market profit of Tk1.69 crore from share sales.
