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Download PDF The National Board of Revenue (NBR) yesterday directed all commercial banks to furnish by this month the transaction information of 71 individuals including politicians, businessmen, top government officials and their relatives.
In a letter, NBR, the central authority for tax administration, asked the banks for their account statements since July 2001 till the last printout of the audit trail.
As per the directives, banks will have to provide information about all transactions made through personal account, joint account, current account, foreign currency account, savings account, credit account, and credit card of these persons.
Sources said the NBR would match the tax returns against the transaction reports. They would do so to know about the persons’ sources of income and see if they have been involved in tax evasion.
Earlier, accounts of 53 other individuals have been examined and Tk 120 crore was found to have not been declared [in the wealth statements].
Those whose accounts details have been sought are Orion Group Chairman Obaedul Karim, his wife Arjuda Karim, his son Salman Obaedul Karim and daughters Jerin Karim and Nudrat Karim, Partex Group chairman MA Hashem, his wife Sultana Hashem and his sons Aziz Al Kaisar Titu, Aziz Al Mahmud, Aziz Al Masud, Shawkat Aziz Russel, Ashfaq Aziz Rubel, former chairman of Jatiya Party Anwar Hossain Manju, his wife Tasmima Hossain, daughters Sima Hossain, Tarin Hossain, Anushah Hossain and Monija Hossain.
Sheikh Helaluddin, former lawmaker and cousin of Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina, his wife Rupa Chowdhury, son Sheikh Tonmay and daughter Al Mona, Khaleda Zia’s nephew Shahrin Islam Tuhin, his wife Aysha Islam, and son Shahmin Yasir Islam, former Jamaat lawmaker Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, his wife Habiba Akhtar Chowdhury, daughter Tasfia Jahan, and son Sayed Abdullah Mohammad Tasfir Hasan are also on the list.
Besides, the banks will have to provide the financial transaction reports of former APS to Sheikh Hasina Rabiul Alam Mohammad Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, his wife Fahima Khatun and son Mahsina Farhad, Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) leader Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, his wife Rifat Hossain, brothers Kawsar Zahan and Dr Zakir Hossain, daughters Tasmim Tamanna, Tahmin Nuzhat, and Tanchzil Tania, former communications secretary Ismail Zabiullah, his wife Aysha Siddique and son Ahmed Ishtiaque Zabiullah, ex-member of Public Service Commission (PSC) Prof Mahfuzur Rahman, his wife Firoza Begum and brother Mamunur Rashid, Awami Swechhashebak League President AFM Bahauddin Nasim, his wife Dr Sultana Shamima Chowdhury, brothers Jalaluddin Ahmed Yamin and Khalid Hossain Yaad, ex-chief engineer of Public Works Department AFM Manjurul Islam, his wife Akhtar Jahan, daughter Sabrina Manjur and son Tanvir Manjur, former additional Inspector General of Police Md Shahidullah Khan, his sons Yamin Khan, Yasir Khan and Imran Yamin Khan.
Also on the list are businessman Giridhari Lal Modi, his wife Koushalya Modi, son Dilip Modi, and daughters Manju Khaitan and Anju Khaitan. AL leader Kamal Ahmed Majumder, his wife Shahida Kamal, and sons Ziauddin Ahmed Majumder and Shahed Ahmed Majumder, CBA leader of Desa Kazi Mosharraf Hossain, his wife Shahnaz Mosharraf, son Kazi Ferdous Hossain, daughters Kazi Rokshana Nasrin and Kazi Munmun Sharmin.
November 7th, 2007 at 10:28 am
To: Chairman NBR and ACC of Bangladesh.
Govt. of Bangladesh has taken positive measures for re-structuring the many system. NBR is working very hard as well. But NBR should do internal clean up as well. Mainly port like Chittagong, Dhaka airport, Benapole land port, ICD Dhaka and all the Export Processing Zone. Most of the custom officer is taking bribe for every import and export. This must need to stop. Every Clearing & Forwarding agent has to offer this money to them as a system. NBR should make it public not to pay any amount to custom officer. (I have a proof had to take more than 10 signature from custom to clear a import from Dhaka Airport. And for every signature point has a fee).
A full time TV can be posted in those port area with advertisement not to pay any bribe and what will happen if caught. Same should come in the public media. What kind of punishment for both will be also to be shown? ACC officer should make under cover visit as Clearing & Forwarding agent to justify the true picture.
Many Clearing agents have very good communication with corrupt custom officer. Many big company mainly involved in Electronics and Auto mobile business uses those Clearing agent to clear their goods contract basis. NBR and ACC can find their name easily from the port. Take them under question. Many big fish will be on the net.
NBR also should make tariff fixed for all high value item and marked luxurious item. Like Automobile. It is easy to find out price from the manufacturer’s web or thru our Ambassy. Duty can be lower by 40% but fixing tariff. Which will allow county to earn double than what it is today. Tariff should be fixed country/brand/model wise. Example Toyota PRADO -Brand new duty 156%. We know world value is about USD45, 000. Adding 156% landed value in the market should be is USD115, 200 that is taka7, 945,000. But a brand new Toyota Prado been soled in Bangladesh market with profit is not more than 5,800,000. Means is been under valued and with the help of corrupt (system) custom/inspection company and duty been fraud. In every high value/brand item all big corrupt Business Magnet are the agent in Bangladesh. And they are richest. More over they are the main money donor in all big political parties. Some of them are also active key leader. So they are untouched during every political government.
NBR should know big fishes are also bribed Inspection Company overseas. And 1% value of our import going to Inspection Company’s pocket as their charge. More over they are taking away their profit out of our country thru illegal way. (Example COTACNA)
I am sure NBR is capable to restructure the total duty system. This is the right time to make a concrete proposal to budget committee to get it approved. There is no political bad interruption at this moment. This is the NBR who knows about these shortfall. Serving in other government organization/department or in Army it impossible to know about it.
Government had many success like Rajuk. Same way Government should take NBR as priority project to clean, rectify, reshuffled to make the backbone of the county (NBR) with proper full strength. This will bring more revenue and more honest businessperson in the market.
All Mighty is always with the good people to add the strength. We must need to fall back to him. Nothing goes unpaid.
Tofail