The move aims to verify whether the real incomes of the 11 film stars and producers, 31 physicians, 15 company directors and five Chinese restaurant owners match their tax returns, NBR sources said.

Although bankers earlier protested against the move to the Bangladesh Bank governor, the NBR says its action is very much in accord with the tax laws.

"In our primary investigations, we have seen many people have filed tax returns which don't match their real income," said an NBR official. "For instance," he said, "a leading doctor earns at least 30 lakh taka a year by consulting patients and much more as commissions on diagnostic tests he advises. But, in his tax return, that doctor claims to have made only around Tk 4 lakh a year."

"Similarly, the maximum amount any of the film celebrities has stated in tax return as his annual earning is Tk 2 lakh. But we know they make millions every year," the revenue official said, adding, "The film stars don't cooperate with the income tax officials. They don't even allow an inspector to enter their offices."

Bankers said many of the names mentioned in the NBR notices do not match with their clients' names. "We've sought legal help in this regard," a banker said, "and our lawyers say, since the names don't match, we can't disclose their banking information."

But sources said the NBR has the power to claim all information about all bank clients, if necessary.