The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has suspended Assistant Tax Commissioner Jannatul Ferdous Mitu over allegations of accepting a bribe of Tk38 lakh in exchange for providing tax documents.

The information was revealed in a notification signed by NBR Secretary Md Abdur Rahman Khan on Monday.

According to the notification issued by the Internal Resources Division of the Ministry of Finance, Mitu, who works in Tax Zone-5, Dhaka, allegedly provided crucial tax documents to the representative of taxpayer Salah Uddin Ahmed (an income tax lawyer) in return for a substantial bribe. The documents included previous tax returns, order sheets, tax assessment orders, appeal and tribunal rulings, and other confidential papers.

As the allegations were found to be substantiated, the authorities decided to suspend her temporarily under Rule 12 of the Government Employees (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2018. She will continue to receive the subsistence allowance during the suspension period as per the rules.

The notification, issued in the public interest and signed by Secretary Md. Abdur Rahman Khan by order of the President, states that the order is effective immediately. Copies have also been sent to the Cabinet Secretary, the Chief Secretary to the Principal Adviser, and the relevant offices for their information and necessary action.