NBR’s Matiur removed from Sonali Bank board

Matiur Rahman, a much-discussed government officer, has now been removed from the board of directors of Sonali Bank, a day after his transfer from the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

The finance ministry’s financial institutions division has issued a formal directive to the Sonali Bank chairman, Ziaul Hasan Siddiqui, on Monday, asking him to take necessary measures for removing Matiur Rahman from the board of directors.

NBR officer Matiur was a director at the state owned Sonali Bank. He, however, refrained from attending the pre-scheduled board meeting of the bank on Sunday.

Following the meeting, the chairman told the media that it is up to the government to appoint or suspend any director.

“There was an instruction from the government… he (Matiur) will no longer be attending any board meeting. We have briefed all the directors about the government decision,” he said.

Matiur Rahman came to limelight when his son Mushfiqur Rahman bought a sacrificial goat at a staggering price of Tk 1.5 million before the Eid-ul-Azha. The focus later shifted towards his enormous wealth, including resorts, shooting sites, multiple houses, and lands, in addition to his son’s lavish lifestyle.

Against the backdrop, he was removed from the NBR and attached to the internal resources division on Monday. Till the day, he was the president of the customs, excise and VAT appellate tribunal at the NBR.