Interim govt advisers begin filing income, asset disclosures

Advisers of the interim government and individuals holding equivalent rank are submitting their income and asset statements to the Cabinet Division, with most members of the Advisory Council having already filed their declarations for the 2024–25 fiscal year.

Power and Energy Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, in a post on his Facebook page today (26 January), said he has submitted his and his wife's income and asset statements to the office of the cabinet secretary in line with the disclosure policy issued last year.

In the post, he said, "Alhamdulillah. In line with the 'Policy on Disclosure of Statement of Income and Assets of Interim Government Advisers and Persons of Equivalent Rank, 2024,' the income and asset statements of myself and my wife for the 2024–25 fiscal year have been submitted to the office of the Cabinet Secretary. These were earlier submitted to the National Board of Revenue along with our income tax returns. It may be noted that the statements for the 2023–24 fiscal year were also submitted earlier."

He added that the submitted income and asset statement is not complete in view of the tenure of the interim government, as it reflects income and assets up to 30 June 2025. "In the interest of accountability, God willing, I will submit the income and asset statement again to the Cabinet Division after the end of the 2025–26 fiscal year," he wrote.

When contacted by TBS later, Fouzul Kabir Khan said that, to his knowledge, other advisers and individuals holding equivalent rank are also submitting their asset statements and that many have already done so.

Asked whether the government would make these asset statements public, he said he was not aware of any such decision. "That is for the government to decide. My responsibility was to submit the statement, and I have done so," he said.

On 1 October 2024, the Cabinet Division issued the "Policy on Disclosure of Statement of Income and Assets of Interim Government Advisers and Persons of Equivalent Rank, 2024."

According to the policy, advisers of the interim government and persons holding equivalent rank who are engaged in government or republic service must submit their income and asset statements to the chief adviser through the Cabinet Division within 15 working days after the last date for submission of annual income tax returns. If their spouse has a separate source of income, the spouse's income and asset statement must also be submitted at the same time. The policy also specifies a prescribed format for submitting these statements.

Earlier, at a press conference on 22 September 2024, then public administration secretary Md Mokhlesur Rahman said all government officials and employees must submit their asset statements by 31 December each year. For that year, he said, the statements had to be submitted by 30 November.