Serious allegations of bond-related irregularities involving hundreds of crores of taka, forged documents, revenue evasion and abuse of administrative influence have surfaced against Mia Md. Abu Obaida, Commissioner of the Customs Bond Commissionerate, Dhaka (North), under the National Board of Revenue (NBR).
His long tenure in several key offices in the capital, as well as the fact that he has reportedly not been transferred outside Dhaka during his career, has also sparked discussion within the NBR.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Mia Md. Abu Obaida, a 22nd-batch Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) officer, joined the Bond Commissionerate as an Assistant Commissioner in 2003. He subsequently served in several important positions, including at the Inland Container Depot (ICD) Kamalapur, the NBR Secretariat, the Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) and various offices of the Bond Commissionerate.
There are allegations that administrative influence and political connections enabled him to remain posted in Dhaka for a prolonged period. However, no official statement from the relevant authorities could be obtained regarding this allegation.
Recently, a person named Md. Akhtar Uz Zaman submitted a written complaint to the relevant authorities. The complaint alleges that large sums of money were collected every month as bribes from diplomatic bonded warehouses. The names of individuals identified as ‘Farid’ and Zaman, owner of Zaman Accessories, have also been mentioned in connection with the alleged activities.
The complaint further alleges that Abu Obaida used his influence to bring A.B.M. Masum, an official of the Chattogram VAT department, to his own office.
According to several officials and people familiar with the Bond Commissionerate, Abu Obaida is known within the office as “Bond Huzur” because of his religious image and outward appearance. However, allegations have emerged that behind this public image, he developed a powerful network centred on bond facilities and used it to maintain influence and control over the office's activities for an extended period.
One of the most serious allegations concerns a photocopy shop operating on the ground floor of the Bond Commissionerate building. According to the allegations, forged Utilisation Permissions (UPs) and other fraudulent bond-related documents were prepared at the shop.
It has further been alleged that such documents were used to conceal incidents of large-scale revenue evasion involving several companies, including Mahmud Group and Dongbang Group.
According to the allegations, several computers and photocopy machines were used at the shop to prepare, reproduce and authenticate official documents. It has also been alleged that Assistant Revenue Officer Imran Hasan was seen authenticating documents at the shop outside his official office room.
Those familiar with the matter have called for an independent investigation to determine the authenticity of these allegations and establish whether any official misconduct or revenue loss occurred.
Meanwhile, allegations have also surfaced that efforts were made to have investigative reports on the matter removed after their publication. According to complainants, several officials of the Bond Commissionerate contacted reporters and allegedly pressured them to stop publication or remove reports. They also allegedly offered improper benefits in exchange for suppressing the reports.
The complaint further alleges that several journalists were approached to lobby on behalf of the officials involved.
Despite the allegations and the information emerging from the investigation, sources claim that Abu Obaida's administrative influence has remained intact. Recently, through an official order, he was also given additional responsibility as Commissioner of the Customs, Excise and VAT Commissionerate, Dhaka (North).
The decision has reportedly renewed discussion within the NBR about his influence and the alleged “invisible power” behind his continued position in important offices.
Separately, a report published by a national daily stated that the whereabouts of a large quantity of raw materials imported under bond facilities could not be traced. It was alleged that the materials were sold on the open market by evading customs duties and taxes. The report also stated that an investigation had found evidence of misuse of bond facilities.
According to sources involved in the investigation, the government has allegedly been losing substantial amounts of revenue for years due to the misuse of bond facilities and related irregularities allegedly involving Commissioner Mia Md. Abu Obaida.
They claim that such practices not only deprive the government of revenue but also undermine legitimate businesses and create an uneven competitive environment.
However, the allegations have yet to be conclusively established. A neutral and comprehensive investigation would be necessary to determine the facts, identify any individuals responsible and assess the extent of any financial loss to the government.
Efforts to obtain comments from Mia Md. Abu Obaida and the relevant NBR authorities regarding the allegations were unsuccessful. Their statements, if obtained, should be included in any subsequent report.