Hunt starts for ‘second home’ owners, siphoned money

A hunt for the Bangladeshi citizens having 'second home' and siphoning undisclosed incomes to different countries began as the National Board of Revenue (NBR) formed a committee Wednesday for the chase.  

Officials said the panel will frame a work-plan for searching out such persons, following reports that a section of big shots are buying home abroad and tycoons stashing money away into foreign banks.           

The committee will submit its report within next 30 days by preparing lists of these runways and a detailed plan of action.

Such a move against what is commonly called capital flight incidentally comes at a time when some other countries, including China and India, have launched similar action for repatriation of the siphoned-off money.                 

Earlier, NBR chairman Ghulam Hussain had vowed to trace the Bangladeshi citizens having second home and investment in other countries to check out their tax-payment status. Malaysia, Canada, Dubai and Qatar have been identified as havens for such wealth coming through capital flight.

The four-member committee, headed by Sabbir Ahmed, joint commissioner the Central Intelligence Cell (CIC), will find out the persons who invested or shifted their hitherto-undisclosed incomes into other countries.

According to wild guess by some think-tanks, the siphoned-off money could run into more than a trilling in terms of the taka.           

doulot_akter@yahoo.com