NBR seeks info on bank accounts of former top officials of PWD

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has sought information on all the bank accounts held by two ex-government high officials.   

They are Rafiqul Islam and Abdul Hai who worked as chief engineer and additional chief engineer respectively at the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.

The Central Intelligence Unit of the NBR on Tuesday sent a letter to Bangladesh Bank, seeking their financial details.

The NBR has also ordered the respective tax zones to look into their sources of income and expenditure.      

NBR Chairman Mosharraf Hossain Bhuyan told The Business Standard that they have initiated the probe based on intelligence reports.

"Our intelligence unit has sought details on their bank accounts through the central bank," he added.

Graft allegations surfaced against the two former officials after Jubo League leader GK Shamim had been arrested last Friday.      

NBR sources said Rafiqul Islam allegedly accumulated a big amount of money through irregularities, corruption and tender manipulation.

The former chief engineer of public works bought a home in Canada. He also deposited Tk200 crore with a HSBC Bank account, owned by his son Shawan, in Honk Kong.

Rafiqul has several houses and apartments in the capital as well. He owns a house at Dhanmondi, two apartments at Green Road, a luxurious flat at Gulshan and another house "Anwar Manjil" at Banani.  

He also owns a 12 storied building erected on 10 kathas of land at Mirpur.

Rafiqul Islam and GK Builders owner Golam Kibria Shamim jointly amassed more than Tk100 crore in the name of 'negotiation money' from the mega projects taken up the public works department, the NBR sources alleged.

Abdul Hai also faced similar allegations.

According to the NBR sources, Hai accumulated a big amount of money in association with GK Shamim during his stint at the public works ministry.   

However, The Business Standard could not reach the duo for comments as their mobile phones were switched off.