A probe conducted by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has revealed that 611 individuals closely aligned with the former administration engaged in large-scale tax evasion, collectively owing the government Tk35,000 crore.
This figure marks a significant surge from last year’s Tk21,000 crore in unpaid taxes linked to the top 1,000 defaulters.
NBR annually compiles a list of the top 1,000 tax defaulters in an effort to recover outstanding dues. In the past six months alone, 317 new names have been added to the roster of defaulters, according to the Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) of the NBR.
Following the assumption of office by the interim government, the Chief Adviser’s Office instructed NBR to identify the country’s leading tax delinquents.
The CIC scrutinised five fiscal years' worth of data before finalising its findings, which were submitted to senior NBR officials on 15 February.
Among the 611 defaulters are former ministers, state ministers, deputy ministers, influential business leaders, high-ranking government and private sector officials, and ruling party operatives from the previous regime.
NBR Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan stated, “The NBR has modernised its approach and is committed to ensuring fair treatment for honest taxpayers. Previously, tax evaders could escape scrutiny, but under the current administration, no defaulter will be spared. Regardless of their influence, legal action will be taken.”
Additionally, a task force under the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate is probing customs duty fraud, while another, under the VAT Audit Intelligence and Investigation Directorate, is examining VAT evasion.
The CIC has incorporated findings from both these task forces into its latest report.
Beyond NBR’s initiatives, multiple agencies—including the Chief Adviser’s Office, Bangladesh Bank, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), and the Ministries of Finance, Home Affairs, Land, and Law—are engaged in efforts to track down tax evaders and repatriate illicit funds.
Investigators are liaising with foreign law firms and Bangladesh’s diplomatic missions abroad to trace the destination of laundered money.
Task force members have also travelled overseas to collect intelligence on financial misconduct.
Senior Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, Shafiqul Alam, announced the interim government’s stern stance: “Many have evaded taxes while laundering money abroad and simultaneously avoiding tax obligations within the country. These individuals have amassed immense wealth at the nation’s expense. Eleven committees are currently working on these cases, and we are optimistic that recovered funds will be channelled into national development. The previous government’s cronies played a pivotal role in this tax fraud, and it is the present administration’s responsibility to ensure they face justice.”
The preliminary list of major tax defaulters includes ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and multiple members of her family, such as Sheikh Rehana, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Saima Wazed Putul, and Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby.
Also named are prominent political figures, including former ministers Obaidul Quader, Shahjahan Khan, Dipu Moni and her brother, ex-Deputy Speaker Shamsul Haque Tuku, and former State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak and his wife Kanika.
Among business tycoons implicated in tax default are Salman F Rahman, former private industry and investment adviser, Nazrul Islam Mazumdar of Nasa Group, and Muhammad Aziz Khan of Summit Group.
Additionally, 37 business conglomerates, including Orion Group, Third Wave Technologies Ltd (Nagad Ltd), and Diamond World Ltd, have been flagged for substantial tax evasion.
The report further outlines how many of these defaulters have amassed extensive wealth through illicit means.
Investigations reveal that several individuals own vast estates, luxury vehicles, and overseas properties, none of which were declared in their tax returns.
Law enforcement raids have, on multiple occasions, uncovered caches of expensive jewellery, which later proved to be undeclared assets.
Former NBR chairman, Abdul Majid remarked, “For years, influential figures, particularly ministers and MPs, exploited loopholes and intimidated officials to evade taxes. In many cases, tax officials seeking dues were either transferred or threatened. However, the landscape has changed. NBR has stepped up its enforcement, and if defaulters are penalised exemplarily, it will deter future evasion.”
With the government’s newly adopted zero-tolerance policy, authorities are now poised to pursue stringent legal measures against tax dodgers, ensuring accountability and upholding fiscal integrity.
