Staff Reporter:
A member of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) accused of amassing illegal wealth has been made an officer on special duty (OSD) just a day after being appointed president of the Customs, Excise and VAT Appellate Tribunal.
Mohammad Belal Hossain Chowdhury was appointed to the tribunal on Wednesday, only 24 hours after the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case against him on charges of concealing wealth worth Tk5 crore beyond known sources of income.
On Thursday, the government issued a fresh order making him an OSD.
The development came amid growing public criticism and demands for stronger action.
Journalist Zulkarnain Saer, who first made the appointment public on Wednesday, shared the update on his verified Facebook page on Thursday, questioning why Belal had only been made OSD instead of being suspended, as is usually done in such cases.
“Normally, officials facing ACC cases — even when it’s only an allegation — are temporarily suspended. Why has Belal only been made an OSD?” Saer wrote.
According to Saer, Belal has allegedly been lobbying influential quarters to avoid suspension or arrest.
Claiming that Belal is a key figure in the investment of illicit funds in cryptocurrency, Saer urged law enforcement agencies to arrest and interrogate him to prevent him from leaving the country.
The ACC filed the case on Tuesday, accusing Belal of concealing Tk4.60 crore in undeclared assets and acquiring Tk4.97 crore beyond known sources of income during his tenure as the commissioner of Benapole Custom House and director general of the Customs Rebate and Refund Department.
The authorities have yet to issue any statement on the reasons for making him OSD instead of taking stronger disciplinary action.
