NBR Tax Commissioner accused of corruption worth hundreds of crores
NBR Tax Commissioner Mohammad Abdur Rakib
Serious allegations of taking bribes worth crores of taka, corruption, money laundering and acquiring illegal assets have been raised against National Board of Revenue (NBR) Tax Commissioner Mohammad Abdur Rakib. He is currently working at Tax Zone 8 in Dhaka. He previously served as Director General of the NBR’s Central Intelligence Cell (CIC). The Cabinet Division recently sent a letter to the Ministry of Public Administration and the Internal Resources Division (IRD) directing them to investigate the allegations against him and take necessary action.
The action was taken following a written application filed by Barrister Rokanuddin Ahmed on behalf of the Bangladesh Nationalist Lawyers Forum. According to the application, while serving at the CIC, Rakib allegedly demanded crores of taka by withholding audit related documents of various major industrial groups and business organizations. There are also allegations that he demanded large sums of money from several leading organizations and subjected them to administrative harassment when he did not receive bribes.
According to information mentioned in the application, there are specific allegations that Rakib embezzled Tk 324 crore through various illicit means and caused extensive losses to government revenue. There are also allegations that following the recent political change, he attempted to portray himself as a supporter of a different ideology and sought to make additional financial transactions to gain influence over senior positions in the current administration. If an investigation establishes the allegations, immediate legal action is needed to file regular cases against him and expedite the ongoing search operations by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
According to the attached information, he allegedly used money acquired through corruption to purchase luxury flats and multiple plots in his own name and in the names of his wife and children in affluent areas of the capital including Gulshan, Banani, Uttara and Kalabagan. The allegations also include details of purchasing flats and houses in Canada and Australia through money laundering as well as making large fixed deposits in banks.
The allegations also include paying large sums of money as bribes and engaging in lobbying and influence trading in various areas to evade ongoing administrative and ACC investigations or secure positions. Taking these matters into consideration, the Cabinet Division has directed the relevant ministries to take necessary legal and administrative measures along with copies of the application.
