NBR Official Accused of Amassing Illegal Wealth Appointed as Customs Tribunal President

A senior tax official facing serious corruption charges has been appointed president of the Customs, Excise and VAT Appellate Tribunal—just 24 hours after the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case against him.

The appointment has sparked widespread criticism over institutional integrity and accountability.

On Tuesday, the ACC formally charged Mohammad Belal Hossain Chowdhury, a member of the National Board of Revenue (VAT Implementation and IT) and former Customs commissioner, with concealing nearly Tk5 crore in assets beyond known sources of income.

At a press briefing held the same day at ACC headquarters in Dhaka, Director General (Prevention) Md Akhtar Hossain stated that while Belal had declared assets worth Tk8.83 crore in his official statement, independent verification revealed total holdings of Tk13.43 crore, exposing Tk4.60 crore in undeclared assets.

“The investigation found that the assets acquired beyond known income sources amounted to Tk4.97 crore,” Akhtar said, adding that Belal’s wealth accumulation reflected “a consistent pattern of irregularities and abuse of power” during his tenure in customs and rebate/refund departments.

Despite these serious allegations, the Finance Ministry on Wednesday issued a circular appointing Belal as president of the Customs Tribunal—effectively promoting him to a quasi-judicial role.

The decision has prompted sharp criticism and raised questions about governance and ethical standards.

In a Facebook post, journalist Zulkarnain Saer questioned the legitimacy of the appointment: “How can someone accused of concealing assets now sit in judgment?”

He described the decision as a “case of institutional failure and moral erosion,” warning that such appointments undermine public trust in state institutions. “The optics are disastrous — an accused now judging others,” Saer wrote.

Questions also remain as to why no disciplinary measures accompanied the ACC charges and on what legal or administrative grounds the government proceeded with the appointment.

The ACC has yet to issue any further statement regarding the development.