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| Bangladesh |
| Banks to freeze accounts of Moudud, family |
| 2007-03-06 |
| The National Board of Revenue (NBR) yesterday directed banks to freeze the accounts of former law minister barrister Moudud Ahmed and his wife. It also instructed them to suspend the accounts of BNP leader Mazidul Islam and his wife and their two children. The central authority for tax administration, the NBR asked for bank statements of those by March 8 and said the records should cover all transactions since opening of the accounts. The decision was taken in the light of an ongoing investigation into their alleged tax evasion, according to the NBR directive to the banks. However, sources said the move is part of the caretaker government's drive against politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen suspected of corruption. Earlier on March 1, the NBR asked all commercial banks to suspend immediately transactions of accounts of the 53 graft suspects. "Accounts of more corruption suspects will be suspended soon," said an NBR source. Identifying Moudud and Mazidul by tax identification numbers (TIN), in two separate letters to the banks the NBR said that lately its Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) has been investigating alleged tax evasion by these two, their wives and children. Besides the BNP leaders, it mentioned names of Moudud's wife Hasna Moudud, Mazidul's wife Rawnak Jahan Islam, his children Jamiul Islam and Ashfia-E-Mazid. The CIC is convinced that if all confidential and yet-to-be-published information about the accounts held by them or their family members or under joint names is made available, these people might finish up owing the government huge sums in tax. In this situation, the NBR requests the banks to suspend all types of withdrawal and transfers from the accounts. It asks them to take the matter as a priority revenue collection activity. Besides, the letters direct the banks to furnish the CIC director general with statements of all accounts--current, savings, term deposit, credit, foreign currency, and credit card--of the aforementioned taxpayers. The statements should include information about any closed account that the six would previously hold. When The Daily Star contacted the former law minister for his reaction on the matter yesterday evening, he said, "Let me receive the notice (the NBR letter) first and then I can say what I think of it." |
| Posted by:Fred |