The Internal Resources Division (IRD) of the Ministry of Finance has rejected the joining letter of Matiur Rahman, former National Board of Revenue (NBR) officer, which was sent through a messenger.
According to IRD sources, Matiur is being considered a fugitive and could be dismissed from his appointed position after 60 days if he does not join the ministry in person.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior IRD official, said Matiur on June 25 has sent a joining letter through a messenger, but it has not been accepted.
"We are not sure whether he is abroad or in the country. Since his joining letter has not been accepted, he will now be considered a fugitive. In that case, according to the rules, he is likely to be dismissed from his job after 60 days."
Matiur is due to go on Post Retirement Leave (PRL) in five months. If he is dismissed before then, he could also face various complexities of the government service rules. He could also lose his retirement benefits.
Matiur came into the spotlight after controversy over his wealth and source of income.
The controversy surfaced after Matiur's son, Mushfiqur Rahman Ifat, posted a photo of a sacrificial goat ahead of Eid-ul Azha on social media and claimed to have bought it for Tk 12 lakh.
This raised questions about the income of this official, with a basic monthly salary of Tk 78,000.
ACC asks Matiur's asset statement from NBR
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has asked the National Board of Revenue (NBR) authorities to provide the assent statement of its former official Matiur Rahman.
An officials familiar with the matter said the ACC move comes as the revenue board's Central
Intelligence Cell (CIC) has also launched an investigation against Matiur, who allegedly amassed massive wealth through corruption.
The NBR official said, “The ACC this week has asked the NBR to submit the statement within 30 June.”
"The statement will be sent to the ACC by next Sunday," said the official.
Meanwhile, an NBR's central intelligence unit is also looking into the income, expenditure and assets shown in Matiur's tax filings, an NBR official told TBS on condition of anonymity.
"We are unofficially looking into his assets stated in tax filings. We will also inquire about his family members. But Matiur Rahman is the most important subject to us," the official said, adding that the board will not rush the investigation.
