In a tale that seems straight out of a sociopolitical satire which also tries to masquerade as a thriller, the recent limelight around a high-priced goat has led to the unravelling of alleged corruption of senior officials from the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and malpractices of the farm it was in.
What was a stunt of show-offing, led to exposing irregularities.
As probes started, investigators found a tangled web of deceit.
Goatfather
Every year, as Eid-ul-Azha nears, social media often clamours over the exorbitant prices and unruly yet catchy names of sacrificial animals.
It all started with a Facebook post by Mushfiqur Rahman Ifat, who reportedly purchased a prized goat from Sadeeq Agro at a staggering price of Tk15 lakh during Eid-ul-Azha this year.
The exorbitant price tag raised eyebrows, the public questioned how a 19-year-old could afford such a lavish purchase.
Soon he was pointed out as the son of a revenue official.
Whispers of Ifat's connection to National Revenue Board (NBR) official Matiur Rahman began circulating.
Meanwhile, Sadeeq Agro’s owner, Imran Hossain, offered conflicting narratives.
Initially, he corroborated Ifat’s story, then later claimed Ifat only paid a small deposit and never completed the purchase.
The situation spiralled further when Matiur Rahman, in a bizarre turn of events, denied any relation to Ifat. This blatant lie only fueled public suspicion.
Despite these denials, evidence suggesting a familial link surfaced as Matiur Rahman is said to have two wives.
Further fueling the speculations, Feni-2 Member of Parliament Nizam Uddin Hazari has said that Ifat is indeed the son of Matiur Rahman from his second wife, who is the MP’s maternal cousin.
The MP said Matiur Rahman regularly participates in family events with his second wife and may have denied the relationship out of anger.
This raised questions about the income of NBR official Matiur at this grade (a grade-1) with a basic monthly salary of Tk 78,000.
Meanwhile, photos of Ifat with expensive cars surfaced on social media along with Matiur and his family’s wealth including flats and resorts in various places, namely Dhaka, Gazipur, and Narsingdhi.
Following the controversy, Matiur Rahman, who had been serving as the president of NBR’s Customs, Excise and VAT Appellate Tribunal, was transferred to the Internal Resources Division (IRD) of the Finance Ministry and was also removed from directorship from the state-owned Sonali Bank.
The Anti-Corruption Commission started an inquiry against Matiur Rahman over allegations of amassing illegal wealth and money laundering.
A Dhaka court imposed a travel ban on Md Matiur Rahman, along with his wife Laila Kaniz and son Mushfiqur Rahman Ifat, over allegations of amassing illegal wealth.
His whereabouts are currently unknown.
‘Goat Scandal’ got another NBR official under the scanner
Probing Matiur’s reported corruption, the ACC found huge movable and immovable assets of NBR First Secretary (Taxes Legal and Enforcement) Quazi Abu Mahmud Faisal and his family members allegedly amassed through illegal means.
On 27 June, a Dhaka court ordered the seizure of the movable and immovable assets of NBR official Faisal and his family members following a petition submitted by the ACC.
There is an allegation that Faisal owns the wealth through various forms of corruption, including taking bribes for transfers of income tax officials and threatening income tax providers.
According to the ACC, Faisal’s wife, Afsana Jasmin, owned a five-katha plot worth Tk 75 lakh in the capital’s Badda and another plot in the Purbachal new town project.
Faisal and his wife also own another five-katha plot worth Tk34 lakh in Badda, while Faisal has three joint plots in Rupganj, Narayanganj, and another plot at Nandipara, Dhaka.
A flat of 2,990 square feet worth Tk1 crore in Siddishari was found in the name of his relative Ahmed Ali, while a 10-katha plot worth Tk4.50 crore in Khilgaon was found in the name of another relative named Momtaz Begum.
The court also ordered the freezing of savings certificates worth Tk50 lakh in two branches of Mercantile Bank in the name of Faisal and his wife›s savings certificates worth Tk50 lakh at Mercantile and Sonali banks.
Furthermore, the court froze savings certificates worth Tk 30 lakh in the name of Aftab Ali, Tk30 lakh in the name of Kazi Khalid Hasan, Tk40 lakh in the name of Hafizur Rahman, Tk50 lakh in the name of Ahmed Ali, and Tk5 lakh in the name of Mahmuda Hasan - all of whom are relatives and family members of Faisal.
Apart from this, the court also ordered the seizure of 87 bank accounts belonging to the NBR official, his wife, Afsan Jesmin, and other family members and relatives.
It ordered the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit, the National Savings Directorate, and the banks not to allow Faisal and his relatives to withdraw money from their bank accounts.
ACC officials said they primarily found the assets of Faisal and his family members, but more assets might be found during further inquiry against the NBR official.
Sadeeq Agro gets served
According to the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Sadeeq Agro, which has been at the centre stage of the so-called "goat scandal", had been set up illegally encroaching Ramchandrapur canal site.
On 27 June, the DNCC demolished illegal structures of Sadeeq Agro as parts of the farm were illegally built on the canal and the adjacent road in Mohammadpur.
The agro farm had built temporary sheds and a building on land encroaching the canal site and had been hindering water flow in the area, DNCC said.
sad
“City corporation had notified Sadeeq Agro about their illegal occupation before Eid and instructed them to remove any illegal structures. The eviction drive was delayed to avoid chaos before Eid, but they didn’t pay heed,” DNCC Zonal Executive Officer (Zone-5) Mutakabbir Ahmed said.
Meanwhile, Imran Hossain, the owner of Sadeeq Agro, a group is conspiring against him.
"I don't own the building; I'm just a tenant here, so eviction drive doesn't concern me. We will relocate. The landowner built the sheds, we only rented the ground floor,” he said.
Meanwhile the goat gets by
Lost amidst the chaos was the fate of the goat at the root of it all.
As it turned out, the goat was not some prize-winning breed but an ordinary animal, its worth was grossly exaggerated.
Reports suggest it was removed from the farm during the eviction and relocated to an unknown location.
The goat controversy served as a catalyst, exposing deeper issues. The exorbitant price tag raised questions about the legitimacy of such high livestock prices.
More importantly, it cast a spotlight on potential corruption within government wings
The "goat of discord" episode serves as a stark reminder of the importance of transparency and accountability.
It highlights the public's demand for ethical conduct from government officials and businesses alike.
