Tech key to catching rich tax dodgers: Khosru

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has said the government is strengthening technology-driven oversight to prevent tax evasion by wealthy individuals and large corporate entities, while avoiding additional tax burdens on ordinary citizens.

He also announced that the electronic tax return (e-return) system will soon be expanded to corporate taxpayers to enhance transparency and improve revenue collection. The minister further said the government is implementing Bangladesh Bank’s Tk 60,000 crore stimulus package to help contain inflation and has introduced collateral-free loans of up to Tk 1 million (10 lakh) for new entrepreneurs.

The finance minister disclosed the information while responding to written questions from lawmakers during the question-and-answer session in Parliament on Sunday. During the same session, he revealed that default loans at the country's nine state-owned banks have reached Tk 1,88,701.75 crore, while Awami League government spent Tk 982.91 crore on programmes marking the Mujib Centenary.

Replying to a question from Naogaon-3 MP Md Fazle Huda, the finance minister said the government is set to extend the e-return system to corporate taxpayers in the near future.

He said efforts are underway to enrich the taxpayer database through API-based data integration with various government agencies. Risk-based audits and investigations are being strengthened to identify sectors with untapped tax potential, while the scope of online tax deduction at source is also being expanded.

The minister warned that strict legal action would be taken against individuals and businesses found deliberately evading taxes.

Responding to a question from Gazipur-5 MP AKM Fazlul Haque Milon, the finance minister said inflation had declined to 8.17 percent in October 2025 due to coordinated government and Bangladesh Bank measures, but increased to 9.42 percent in May this year because of domestic and international market pressures.