The World Bank yesterday handed over two vehicles to Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID), five days after it sought information about 16 vehicles brought into the country duty-free.

A protocol officer of the WB's Dhaka office turned over the vehicles to officials at CIID Kakrail office around 11:00am yesterday, Moinul Khan, director general of CIID, told The Daily Star.

Two WB officials, who brought in the vehicles free of duty under privileged persons' facility, have either left the country or the organisation without transferring the vehicles to CIID which is a punishable offence, he said.

By doing so, the two officials misused their privilege, said Moinul, adding: “We are considering the vehicles as evidence and will frame charges against them after an investigation.”

On Sunday, a three-member WB team met CIID officials at its office to discuss the issue.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) in 2003 framed a rule that allowed foreigners, who work at the local offices of the WB, International Monetary Fund, Asian Development Bank and other international development agencies, to import durables at zero duty.

The durables brought in under the facility must be listed on a passbook. The foreigners should return the passbooks to the NBR before leaving Bangladesh on expiry of their job tenure.

The foreign nationals can either choose to take back the durables with them or sell those to people with same status. However, the NBR must be informed about their choice of action.

The rule stipulates that if any privileged person flouts the rule, the head of the organisation concerned would be held responsible for it.

Following an investigation, the CIID on February 15 sent a letter to the WB's Dhaka office seeking information about the 16 duty-free vehicles.

Qimiao Fan, World Bank country director for Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal, said his office was fully cooperating with the NBR and the CIID to address the issue of the outstanding passbooks.

The WB provided the CIID with detailed information on the 16 passbooks and shared vehicle transfer documents of 11 of them, including NBR's permission and customs clearance to transfer vehicles to another privileged person, Qimiao told The Daily Star.

The WB in the previous two months returned 35 passbooks, including nine mentioned in the CIID's letter. The bank has sought clarification on one name, which it said was not in its staff directory.

Qimiao said his organisation was committed to fully cooperate with the NBR and CIID to address any non-compliance issue. 

“We are also reviewing the administrative procedures of the World Bank Dhaka Office to ensure full compliance with national law and regulations,” he added.

The bank sought six months to report to the CIID on four duty-free vehicles.

On Sunday, the ILO country office in Dhaka handed over a sedan, brought in Bangladesh duty-free, to CIID officials.