ACC launches investigation into 5 more NBR officials, including 2 commissioners

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has launched an investigation into five additional senior officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), including two commissioners, over allegations of tax evasion and financial misconduct.

The ACC confirmed the initiation of the probe in an official statement released on Thursday.

The officials under investigation are Md. Kamruzzaman, Commissioner of Benapole Customs House; Kazi Mohammad Ziauddin, Commissioner of Dhaka East Customs, Excise, and VAT Commissionerate; Sehela Siddika, Additional Tax Commissioner of the Income Tax Department; Md. Mamun Miah, Deputy Tax Commissioner; and Lokman Ahmed, Tax Inspector.

Sehela Siddika is also the Secretary General of the NBR Reform Unity Council, which has been leading recent protests demanding structural reforms within the NBR.

Several NBR insiders have alleged that the investigation is an attempt to harass officials involved in the reform movement.

According to the ACC, the accused officials are suspected of enabling large-scale tax evasion by accepting bribes in exchange for reducing tax liabilities of certain businesses and individuals.

In some cases, officials allegedly filed false tax evasion cases against business owners when bribes were not paid, thereby misusing their authority for personal gain.

The ACC also noted that some taxpayers who pay taxes in advance or overpay often struggle to receive refunds unless they offer bribes or ‘gifts’ to responsible officials.

Evidence suggests that a significant portion of these refunds is siphoned off by corrupt officials before being disbursed.

This investigation follows earlier probes launched within the past four days against 11 high-ranking NBR officials, including two board members and the president of the NBR Reform Unity Council, Hasan Mohammad Tarek Rikabdar.

The ACC alleges that over the years, these officials facilitated customs, VAT, and income tax evasion by various entities and individuals in exchange for personal enrichment—causing massive revenue losses to the state.

The allegations include corruption, favoritism, misuse of authority, and amassing illegal wealth beyond known sources of income.