Outdated Nationwide Board of Income (NBR) legit Matiur Rahman has despatched separate rejoinders to two TBS experiences, one of which, titled “Presupposed to entire in 180 days, smuggling case lingers for 18 years,” changed into once printed on 13 July.
Based fully mostly on recordsdata from the relevant courts, the TBS chronicle said that the trial of an 18-yr-passe smuggling case, filed in 2006, remained pending in a Dhaka court for seven years due to Matiur Rahman’s repeated failure to testify.
In a fresh three-net page written commentary to TBS, Matiur asserted that the chronicle is “unsuitable and false”. He also raised plenty of unrelated aspects that attain no longer pertain to the chronicle.
The chronicle states, “In much less than a month, he lost his job at the NBR, had all his ‘illegal’ property confiscated by the court, and is currently below investigation by the Anti-Corruption Price (ACC) — all of which began with the ‘injurious Tk15 lakh goat’ his son tried to aquire true earlier than Eid-ul-Adha final month.”
In response, Matiur said, “Dr Md Matiur Rahman did no longer lose his job at the NBR. That would very effectively be a entire lie; I voluntarily retired.”
Matiur’s son Mushfiqur Rahman Ifat posted a checklist of a sacrificial goat on social media sooner than final Eid-ul-Adha, claiming it changed into once priced at Tk15 lakh. This post precipitated long-established hypothesis about Matiur’s source of income as a authorities employee.
Following this post, Matiur, who changed into once the president of the NBR Customs, Excise, and VAT Appellate Tribunal, changed into once eliminated from his position and reassigned to the Inside of Resources Division (IRD) of the Ministry of Finance.
After this, Matiur, who had by then long previous into hiding, submitted his becoming a member of letter to the IRD by mail however did no longer in actuality chronicle for accountability. As a consequence, on 31 July, the authorities despatched him on retirement upon application.
In his commentary, Matiur said, “The Anti-Corruption Price has no longer declared my family’s property illegal essentially based mostly mostly entirely on media experiences. The ACC’s investigation is ongoing. The media has reported on this as they discover about fit. The income sources for me and my family are well documented in our income tax returns.”
The ACC initiated an investigation into Matiur and his family participants following the controversy surrounding his son’s “goat scandal”. Subsequently, the ACC has seized varied property belonging to Matiur, his wife, and his youngsters constant with court orders.
In the commentary to TBS, Matiur Rahman also denied that Mushfiqur Rahman Ifat is his son.
He said, “Md Imran Hossain, the proprietor of Sadeeq Agro, targeted a 16-yr-passe talented pupil named Mushfiqur Rahman Ifat, who carried out his SSC within the English version at Motijheel Supreme College and College and is currently finding out science within the 12th grade at Notre Dame College. Radiant Imran Hossain urged Ifat to yelp the pricetag of Tk15 lakh for the goat, which has introduced about somewhat a drag in Bangladesh.”
He additional added, “With out a doubt, no goat changed into once sold to Ifat, and Dr Matiur Rahman has no connection to this matter. Besides, transacting with a 16-yr-passe boy with none guardian repeat is irrational and appears to be like conspiratorial.”
In his commentary, Matiur asserted that wrong recordsdata changed into once printed within the chronicle, particularly the section which said, “On 13 June this yr, he indirectly testified in court in an 18-yr-passe smuggling case, however greatest because he had no probability.”
“At the time of the smuggled clothing seizure in 2006, I changed into once the director of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID). As a result of director is circuitously occupied with this case, my testimony changed into once no longer obligatory,” Matiur said.
“Moreover, when the court summoned me to testify, I complied and equipped my testimony. Therefore, the allegation that the prolong on this case changed into once due to my dillydallying in testimony is entirely false, fabricated, defamatory, and objectionable,” he said.
In step with the chargesheet of the case, Matiur changed into once the sixth see out of 15 within the case, with the seized clothing being held by the CIID.
TBS in its investigation stumbled on that the trial of this case changed into once stalled for seven years due to Matiur. As a key see, Matiur changed into once summoned to court 9 times over the span of seven years however didn’t seem, inflicting delays within the trial.
The court scheduled Matiur’s first testimony for 29 December 2017. On the other hand, after he no longer renowned the 9 summonses, the court issued a non-bailable see warrant (NBWW) in opposition to him on 26 Also can honest this yr, compelling his arrest and look in court below Allotment 90 of the Code of Legal Draw. TBS obtained a copy of this bid.
As a consequence, Matiur changed into once compelled to testify within the case on 13 June, as per the court’s time desk.
Allotment 90 of the Code of Legal Draw grants the court the authority to space an arrest warrant if a see does no longer appear despite multiple summons.
It specifies that a court might maybe, in spite of the entire lot whereby it is some distance empowered by this Code to space a summon for the look of somebody, space a warrant for his arrest after recording its reasons in writing.
The subsections relate: (a) If, either earlier than the distance of such summons, or after the distance of the equivalent however earlier than the time fastened for his look, the court sees motive to ponder that he has absconded or is no longer going to obey the summons; or
(b) If at such time he fails to seem and the summons is proved to dangle been duly served in time to admit of his appearing in accordance therewith and no realistic excuse is equipped for such failure.
Therefore, we stand by our chronicle as the entire recordsdata changed into once printed after vetting.
In his commentary, Matiur said, “A team, utilising intelligence agencies, Ganabhaban, and the CRI, orchestrated the so-known as ‘goat scandal’ all around the final Eid-ul-Adha to accommodate me and my family with false, motivated, and exaggerated disinformation spread thru social media and mainstream media. This publicly humiliated me and my family by labelling us as ‘unsuitable’ and placing us in an embarrassing speak within society. The motive within the encourage of it changed into once to distract public attention.”
Matiur’s rejoinder to yet every other TBS chronicle
Matiur also despatched a rejoinder to yet every other TBS chronicle, printed on 26 June, titled “Goat scandal: Relatives in village disturbed at Matiur’s wealth revelation.”
He refuted a fragment of the chronicle that reads, “Relatives of ragged Nationwide Board of Income legit Matiur Rahman, now accused of corruption, are struggling to ponder he has collected the wealth no longer too prolonged ago reported by the Anti-Corruption Price and media retailers,” calling it false.
Matiur claimed that the chronicle frail an wrong checklist of a mosque. On the other hand, the chronicle did no longer unbiased this form of checklist; the checklist it frail depicted a blue-colored two-storey constructing which is admittedly Matiur’s village dwelling in Bahadurpur, positioned in Kazirchar union of Muladi upazila, Barishal.
Matiur also challenged the reporter, claiming that he had no longer earned even a single taka thru corruption all over his legit responsibilities.
The TBS chronicle detailed multiple investigations by the Anti-Corruption Price (ACC) into Matiur Rahman. It highlighted allegations that he had gathered vital wealth, alongside side financial and true property property, amounting to hundreds of crores, as uncovered by the ACC.
In his rejoinder, Matiur claimed the chronicle inaccurately depicted his family as knowledgeable-BNP.
On the other hand, all over a talk over with to Kazirchar union, the reporter gathered recordsdata from locals which indicates that Matiur Rahman’s brother, Qayyum Hawladar, and his father were in actuality occupied with local BNP politics.
Matiur also alleged that the chronicle mentioned his elder and younger brothers managing his alternate, which changed into once no longer said wherever within the chronicle.
Locals even known the property referenced within the chronicle and confirmed that Matiur Rahman owns it.
Matiur claimed that the chronicle portrayed his brother, Qayyum Hawladar, as a dishonest businessman. On the other hand, the chronicle greatest said that Matiur Rahman had opened a derive factory in Tongi, Dhaka, for his brother without striking any brand on him.
Matiur also said that the chronicle mentioned his ownership of a shoe factory spanning 300 bighas of land, however no such recordsdata changed into once incorporated within the chronicle.
As an replacement, the chronicle, citing a preliminary ACC investigation, said that Matiur owns 300 bighas of land in Pubail, Gazipur.
Therefore, we stand by our chronicle because it changed into once printed constant with recordsdata gathered by the reporter, who spent two days in Bahadurpur village of Kazirchar union, gathering statements from locals and relatives of Matiur Rahman. These statements dangle been documented and video recordings are on hand.
