Govt has no connection with ACC probe of NBR officials

The government has no connection with the Anti-Corruption Commission's (ACC) investigation into allegations against officials of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), said Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed yesterday.

"The NBR staff can now perform their duties without any fear… We are happy that the NBR issue has been resolved," he told journalists at a press briefing following an event at the Finance Division in Dhaka.

On Sunday, the ACC launched an investigation into allegations against six officials of the NBR, including the president of the NBR Reform Unity Council, for facilitating large-scale tax evasion and amassing illegal wealth through bribery.

The announcement of the probe came hours before the NBR officials called off their shutdown programme.

However, when asked about the ACC probe, the adviser said, "I will not answer anything about the ACC. They have their terms of reference. You can ask them directly."

"While they are a government body, there is no interference from the government in any way," he said.

He gave an example of the Bangladesh Bank in a case of interference.

"During my time (as governor of the Bangladesh Bank), there was no interference from the Ministry of Finance, even though I was there," said Ahmed.

"Previously, Bangladesh Bank would operate on government instructions and orders. The governors then would, sorry to say, work more like government agents. That is no longer the case," he said.

The adviser said if there are facts, the ACC will look into them. It's not just about the NBR officials—they are handling various cases, he said.

"Every day, people come to me saying their accounts have been frozen," he said.

Referring to the recent suspension of customs activities due to protests by the NBR officials, Ahmed said some businesspeople told him that they had faced major losses due to the work abstention.

"Shutting down such services is not acceptable. Ports are not private property. These are government institutions. And you are paid by the government. You can't simply shut this down," he said.

Even if they have an issue with the government, they should not halt national services in this manner, he added.

Besides, the adviser urged the NBR officials to carry out their duties sincerely, without showing any "favour or fear."

"If they work without fear or favouritism, there should be no problem," he said.

NBR Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan delivered the same message to the revenue officials.

"I urge all our revenue officials to leave behind whatever has happened and carry on their responsibilities for the sake of national interest," he said.

"Let us work together to take our tasks forward," he told journalists at the NBR headquarters in Agargaon yesterday.

He also informed that the NBR's regular operations resumed yesterday after six consecutive days of strike since June 23.

"Today, all our offices and agencies across the country are fully operational from the morning, including Chattogram, Dhaka, Mongla, Benapole customs houses, all ICDs, bonded warehouses, VAT offices, and tax offices," he said.

"The withdrawal of the shutdown has brought a sense of relief to everyone, especially among the business community and policymakers," he said.

On another note, the NBR chairman said the revenue agency collected Tk 3.60 lakh crore in fiscal year 2024–25 as of 10:00am yesterday.

"We are confident that collections will exceed last year's. There may be a slight shortfall from our initial expectations due to recent disruptions, but we still expect a certain percentage of growth," he said.