HAKA, July 03 (V7N) – The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has initiated investigations against five additional officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) following allegations of corruption. This move by the ACC comes amidst a broader crackdown on alleged irregularities within the NBR, which has seen investigations launched against a total of 16 officials in recent days.

During a media briefing at the ACC headquarters today, Deputy Director (DD) of the ACC Md Aktarul Alam stated that these officials are accused of facilitating tax evasion by large taxpayers in exchange for bribes and other personal benefits. This alleged misconduct, he explained, has led to the government being deprived of significant tax revenue.

The five NBR officials now under ACC investigation are:

Kazi Mohammad Ziauddin, Commissioner of Customs, Excise, and VAT of Dhaka East

Md Kamruzzaman, Commissioner of Benapole Land Port

Md Mamun Mia, Deputy Tax Commissioner of Circle-7 in Rajshahi

Sehela Siddiqua, Additional Tax Commissioner at the Income Tax Intelligence Unit

Lokman Ahmed, Tax Inspector of Tax Zone-2, Dhaka

According to the ACC, these officials are alleged to have taken personal benefits by illicitly reducing the tax liabilities of major taxpayers. This practice not only results in substantial annual losses to state revenue but also, in some cases, involves the harassment of honest taxpayers. Md Aktarul Alam added that the accused officials would sometimes file false cases against taxpayers who refused to pay bribes. Furthermore, there are allegations that these officials demanded bribes from advanced taxpayers when processing refunds for their additional tax payments. The ACC's investigation aims to uncover the full extent of their alleged illegal wealth, which is believed to be beyond their known sources of income.

The ACC's intensifying probe into NBR officials also comes in the wake of recent protests by NBR staff, organized under the banner of the "NBR Reform Unity Council," demanding reforms and the removal of the agency's chairman. Sehela Siddiqua, one of the officials now under investigation, served as the spokesperson for this council. Earlier this week, the ACC had already announced similar inquiries against 11 other NBR officials, many of whom were identified as leaders of the "complete shutdown" movement. The government has taken a stern stance, declaring NBR services "essential" and warning protesting officers to resume duties. These investigations highlight the interim government's stated commitment to rooting out corruption within state institutions.

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