ACC probes 5 more NBR officials over graft allegations

Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has launched investigations into five additional officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), three of whom reportedly led the recent NBR “shutdown” program.

ACC Director General Md Akhter Hossain confirmed on Tuesday that fresh inquiries have begun into alleged corruption by the five revenue officials. The development comes just days after the ACC initiated probes into six other NBR officials, five of whom were also linked to the recent NBR shutdown movement demanding institutional reforms.

The latest officials under investigation include Abdul Rashid Mia, NBR Additional Commissioner and member of the NBR Reform Unity Council; Lutful Azim, an NBR Member; former Additional Director General Mohammad Alamgir Hossain; Deputy Tax Commissioner and Reform Council member Mohammad Shihabul Islam; and Joint Commissioner and Reform Council member Md Tarek Hasan.

According to complaints filed with the ACC, certain unscrupulous NBR officials allegedly accepted hefty bribes to facilitate large-scale tax and customs evasion by businesses. In some instances, they reportedly reduced tax liabilities in exchange for kickbacks, depriving the government of significant revenue year after year.

The complaints also allege that these officials sometimes retaliated against businesses that refused to pay bribes by fabricating false tax evasion cases to harass them.

In addition, taxpayers seeking refunds for excess advance payments often had to pay unofficial “fees” amounting to half of their refund to secure their own money. “Tax officials themselves were pocketing large sums before releasing legitimate refunds,” the complaints state.

There are also longstanding accusations that these officials amassed illegal wealth by allowing businesses to dodge customs duties, VAT, and in some cases income taxes—engaging in corruption, favoritism, and abuse of office to the detriment of the state.

The ACC has pledged thorough investigations, signaling a widening crackdown on revenue-related corruption that has long undermined Bangladesh’s tax system.