ACC team detains tax official following scuffle at Rajshahi tax office

A team of Anti-Corruption Commission detained an income tax official following a scuffle with staffers of the Rajshahi income tax office today.

ACC Deputy Director Moniruzzaman said the commission decided to conduct a raid at the income tax office after receiving information that Deputy Tax Commissioner Mohibul Islam had been demanding Tk 50 lakh in bribes from physician Fatema Siddika, bringing allegations of tax evasion against her.

When the doctor left Mohibul's office after paying Tk 10 lakh as the first instalment today, a nine-member team of ACC led by its Divisional Director Kamrul Ahsan entered the office around 11:30am and found the money with him following a scuffle.

Hearing his screams,, tax office staffers rushed to the scene, broke open the door and swooped on the ACC officials, the ACC deputy director said.

The ACC team then called the police, who later brought the situation under control, he said.

ACC officials detained Mohibul Islam after the incident.

The ACC deputy director said, "We started investigation against the tax official after the Dhaka office informed us about the allegation [that he was demanding money] on March 29.

"We will send Mohibul to a court after filing a case against him," he said.

Contacted, Rajshahi Tax Commissioner Shah Ali said there was an allegation of tax evasion against the doctor.

But he could not give any details about today's raid at the tax office.

"We already informed the matter to the National Board of Revenue," he added.