Written by The Banking Post
The government has begun reviewing alleged tax evasion by major corporate groups as it seeks to strengthen revenue collection to support economic recovery and meet fiscal commitments.
Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said the review comes as the government faces what he described as a “three-way challenge” — stabilising a weakened economy, implementing election pledges, and coping with rising fuel import costs due to the Middle East conflict.
Following a meeting with National Board of Revenue (NBR) officials on Wednesday, the minister indicated that ongoing and past tax investigations are under review as part of broader revenue mobilisation efforts. “There are many issues involved. Everything is being reviewed,” he said.
During the interim administration, the NBR’s Central Intelligence Cell investigated several large business groups over alleged tax evasion and recovered part of the unpaid taxes.
The finance minister said resource mobilisation remains critical for preparing the upcoming national budget. “We must recover the economy while also delivering on our commitments. Without adequate revenue, it will be difficult to move forward,” he said.
He also warned that rising global fuel prices could increase government expenditure. “We now have to import fuel at higher costs. This adds further pressure alongside our other economic challenges,” he said.
On Bangladesh’s graduation from least developed country (LDC) status, he said the process is progressing through United Nations procedures and remains under review.
Highlighting long-term fiscal strategy, the minister said the government wants to shift from a debt-driven growth model toward investment-led expansion to improve the tax-to-GDP ratio and create jobs. He stressed the importance of policy stability to attract both local and foreign investors.
“If policies change frequently after investors commit funds, it undermines confidence. We want predictable policies so investors can plan and invest with assurance,” he said.
Senior NBR officials, including Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan and heads of income tax, VAT and customs wings, attended the meeting.
