Former NBR member Matiur Rahman, wife arrested

Matiur Rahman and his first wife Laila KanizFile photo

Former National Board of Revenue (NBR) member Matiur Rahman and his first wife, Laila Kaniz, a former upazila chairman, have been arrested by the Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Branch (DB).

The arrest, confirmed by DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media and Public Relations) Muhammad Talebur Rahman, occurred in Bashundhara, Dhaka, on Wednesday morning.

The couple faces multiple cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for acquiring illegal wealth and concealing asset information.

On 6 January, the ACC lodged separate cases against Matiur Rahman, Laila Kaniz, their son Taufiqur Rahman, and daughter Farzana Rahman. 

Earlier, on 15 December, the ACC had also filed cases against Matiur and his second wife, Shammi Akhtar Shibli.

The high-profile controversy began when Matiur Rahman’s son, Mushfiqur Rahman alias Ifat, went viral on social media for purchasing a “high-bred” goat for 1.5 million taka during Eid-ul-Azha.

This incident brought attention to the family’s extravagant lifestyle, including reports of expensive watches, luxury cars, resorts, shooting spots, bungalows, and extensive land holdings in their names.

Following these revelations, the ACC launched an investigation into Matiur Rahman on 23 June.

Two days later, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) froze bank accounts, mobile financial service (MFS) accounts, and stock market beneficial owner (BO) accounts belonging to Matiur Rahman and his family.

Amid growing allegations, Matiur Rahman was removed from his role at the NBR and reassigned to the Internal Revenue Service. He was also stripped of his position as a government-nominated director of state-owned Sonali Bank.

The arrest of Matiur Rahman and Laila Kaniz marks a significant development in the fight against corruption, as authorities investigate their alleged accumulation of illegal wealth and abuse of power.