Mir Anwar Hossain Tutul (Mirzapur) :
The Deputy Tax Commissioner’s Office (Income Tax Office) in Tangail’s Mirzapur has come under scrutiny for alleged corruption and irregularities, with victims filing complaints against office staff for demanding bribes and blocking files.
A group of aggrieved citizens, including professors, business managers, and government employees, has accused the office of extorting money and harassing taxpayers.The complaints, submitted to local authorities including the Deputy Commissioner (DC), Superintendent of Police (SP), and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), allege that the office’s officials have been holding files hostage and demanding bribes in exchange for processing income tax returns.
Victims claim that their tax records were mysteriously lost or delayed, and when they approached the office, they were asked to pay bribes to resolve the issues.
Professor Md. Shahidullah, a former English professor at Shahid Bhabani Prasad Saha Government College, shared his experience, explaining that after submitting his income tax returns for the past several years, he was informed that his file had disappeared.
A senior assistant, identified as Ahmed Subair Tushar, allegedly demanded a bribe of Tk 5,000 to resolve the issue, threatening to jail him if he refused. Shahidullah also mentioned that he was later sent a notice containing audit objections for non-payment of the bribe.
Other victims include Marufa Mahbooba, the manager of Timecro Jute Mills, who was allegedly asked to pay Tk 1.5 lakh, and Dr. Sumaiya Jabeen Mishti, a widow and director of a hospital, who claimed that corrupt officials were harassing her by blocking her file and filing false cases in her name.
The allegations also point to a network of corruption involving several officers at the Tax Commissioner’s Office, including Additional Assistant Tax Commissioner Md. Nurul Islam, senior assistant Ahmed Subair Tushar, and several external brokers.
The victims allege that these individuals have been taking large sums of money from clients in exchange for resolving their tax-related issues. Those who protested or refused to comply were allegedly threatened with legal action or further harassment.
In response to the allegations, Md. Nurul Islam, the Additional Assistant Tax Commissioner, denied the claims.
He stated that the office strives to provide trouble-free service to its clients and suggested that the complaints were baseless, attributing them to issues with paperwork or personal disputes.
The victims have called for immediate action against the corrupt officials and employees, urging the authorities to launch a thorough investigation into the ongoing corruption at the Mirzapur Tax Commissioner’s Office.
