Government officials to be brought under NBR scrutiny for illegal wealth accumulation

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is taking preparations to put under its scanner the government officials suspected of accumulating illegal wealth and assets through corruption.

The revenue collecting authority is taking the move aiming to supplement the government's move for establishing a discrimination-free and corruption-free Bangladesh.

"Definitely we want to establish a discrimination and corruption-free Bangladesh," NBR Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan said recently after inaugurating a programme at NBR.

He mentioned that the time has just started and they need some time for taking preparations.

"You cannot see the move of this preparations from outside," he said.

Meanwhile, public administration Ministry's senior secretary Md Mokhles Ur Rahman recently announced that government officials and employees have been asked to submit their wealth statements by 30 November of this year to their respective ministries and departments.

They have to submit wealth reports on 31 December every year.

However, the NBR chairman declined to mention any specific date to start their job for detaining the corrupt public servants.

"We are putting the matters on right track gradually, we are now placing the right things at the right place," he said.

In this connection, the NBR chairman said that the revenue collecting authority now collecting the data regarding this matter.

The government has prepared a format for submitting the wealth statement. Anyone who doesn't submit the statement or provide wrong information will be brought under book.

The wealth statement will have to be submitted in sealed envelopes to the authorities concerned.

According to Government Servants (Conduct) Rule 1979 (amended in 2002), all government servants must submit their wealth statements.

The government employees have to declare their movable and immovable assets while joining the service and then update it every five years.

Although this rule was enacted to reduce corruption and ensure accountability of the government servants, it was limited to papers.

No headway was made about enforcement of these rules though the ministry had sent letters to this end on several occasions.

In light of ongoing concerns about corruption among government employees, the interim government has reinforced the requirement for annual wealth statements.

On 14 August, the interim government's Legal Adviser Professor Asif Nazrul said that following consultations with the Supreme Court, all judicial officers and their family members must submit their asset declarations—both domestic and international—within 10 working days.

Allegations of widespread corruption have brought the issue of public servants' illegal wealth to the forefront, prompting calls for greater accountability.