NBR seeks bank details of Aziz, Taposh for tax scrutiny

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has asked for bank details of five individuals, including former Army Chief Aziz Ahmed and former South City Corporation Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, to scrutinise their tax compliance.
Three others are journalist couple Farzana Rupa and Shakil Ahmed and former Election Commission secretary Helaluddin Ahmed.
NBR’s Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) has sought bank account details of the four individuals by sending letters to all banks and financial institutions, according to a top official of the CIC.
The five taxpayers’ income-tax filings will be examined to ensure whether their claimed assets and income were correct.
According to official sources, the CIC will investigate their assets and property through field inspections.
“We have sent letters to all banks and financial institutions asking for all kinds of transaction information including credit cards and deposits,” said the official, seeking anonymity.
“After scrutinising the details, we can say whether they involved any money laundering and tax-evasion offences or not,” the official said.
However, the NBR has asked for details of the share market of SK Sur Chowdhury, former deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank.
The duo Journalists –Farzana Rupa and Shakil Ahmed– are both already detained on other charges.
Earlier, the CIC also sent letters to banks, nonbank financial institutions, Securities and Exchange Commission, and Department of National Savings, requesting bank account information for five business tycoons– Nazrul Islam Mazumder, chairman of Nassa Group, Mohammed Aziz Khan, chairman of Summit Group, Ahmed Akbar Sobhan, chairman of Bashundhara Group, and Mohammad Obaidul Karim, chairman of Orion Group.
In addition, Tax Zone-15 of the NBR sought financial information from 91 banks and financial institutions to provide details of Chattogram-based business conglomerate S Alam’s family members and their affiliated enterprises, as well as Awami League leader Sheikh Selim and his family.
The NBR has intensified their move following the August 5 when the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India in the face of the deadly protests of students and common people.
The summoned bank account holders are mostly the followers and political beneficiaries of the ousted government.