Five more NBR officials under ACC scanner

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has initiated another formal inquiry into allegations of corruption and irregularities, including illegal amassing of wealth, abuse of authority, and favouritism, against five more senior officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

The ACC's public relations department confirmed the matter yesterday.

In a press statement, the ACC said there were allegations that certain NBR officials enabled large-scale tax evasion by accepting substantial bribes from business entities, causing the government to incur significant annual revenue losses.

The officials under investigation are Abdul Rashid Mia, additional commissioner; Lutful Azim, member of the NBR; Mohammad Alamgir Hossain, former additional director general of Central Intelligence Cell (CIC); Mohammad Shihabul Islam, deputy tax commissioner; and Md Tariq Hassan, joint commissioner.

This development came two days after the NBR officials' withdrawal of an indefinite shutdown on June 29.

On the same day, the ACC announced its decision to investigate allegation of corruption against six NBR officials, most of whom were members of the NBR Reform Unity Council, the platform of protesting officials.

On Monday, Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed said the government has no connection with the ACC investigation into allegations against officials of the NBR.

However, when asked about the ACC probe, the adviser said, "I will not answer anything about the ACC. They have their terms of reference. You can ask them directly."

"While they are a government body, there is no interference from the government in any way," he said.

"The NBR staff can now perform their duties without any fear…We are happy that the NBR issue has been resolved," he added.

NBR Chairman Abdur Rahman also urged all revenue officials to leave behind whatever has happened and carry on their responsibilities for the sake of national interest.

However, some officials also alleged that the tax administration has asked the field offices of tax to send an attendance sheet of all officers from the commissioner to the night watchman.

The Daily Star also has seen such an attendance sheet.

A senior official at the field office of tax, requesting anonymity, said attendance information of officials and staff were asked for three working days—Thursday (June 26), Saturday (June 28) and Sunday (June 29).

The latest step by the NBR comes just days after it warned of punitive measures for absence from office without permission.

The NBR, in a press release, said all must get permission from their office chiefs and sign in the office register book before leaving.

Contacted, GM Abul Kalam Kaikobad, member of tax admin and human resources management at the NBR, said, "This is a very regular activity, nothing else. As a government official, maintaining an attendance sheet is a basic duty."

However, he declined to comment about its connection with the recent protest.