Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan becomes new NBR chief
FE Report | Thursday, 4 January 2018
The government appointed on Wednesday former industries secretary Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan senior secretary of the Internal Resources Division (IRD) and chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR).
He will serve on a contractual basis for two years with effect from the date of his appointment.
In a circular issued Wednesday, the Ministry of Public Administration appointed the retired secretary NBR chairman to succeed Md Nojibur Rahman, who has been made principal secretary to the Prime Minister.
The circular said Mr Bhuiyan was appointed the NBR chief on the condition that he would discard all working relations with any other organisation or association.
Other conditions of the contractual appointment will be as set out in the related approved agreement paper, the circular said.
Talking to the FE on Wednesday, Mr Bhuiyan said he would focus on investment-friendly measures and try to plug holes of revenue leakage.
Revenue would increase with the investment flow, he added.
"I will work as per government's policy and vision," he said.
There is significant evasion of VAT under the existing VAT law which will be addressed, he added.
Mr Bhuiyan was supposed to go on Post Retirement Leave (PRL) on June 30, 2016. But, the government cancelled the PRL just before a day, on June 29, and appointed him secretary of the ministry of industries for a year on a contractual basis.
He is the second retired government official who has been appointed NBR chairman.
Earlier, the BNP-led government had appointed retired secretary Khairuzzaman Chowdhury as NBR chairman.
Mr Bhuiyan was arrested in a case of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) relating to the World Bank funding for the Padma Bridge and was made OSD (officer on special duty) for a year.
Later, the ACC said it did not find any evidence of the alleged corruption.
Mr Bhuiyan joined the ministry of industries as secretary in October 2014. He was appointed an independent director of British American Tobacco, Bangladesh (BATB) in November 2014.
He started his career in 1981 under the Audit and Accounts cadre of Bangladesh Civil Service. He worked under the Comptroller and Auditor General of Bangladesh.
He served in the Bangladesh Bridge Division as secretary, Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) as Executive Chairman, Bangladesh Water Development Board as additional secretary. He also served in the ministry of commerce, education and finance, Privatisation Commission, Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company (KAFCO).
He obtained his graduation and post-graduation degrees from the Department of Economics, University of Dhaka. He also obtained his Master's degree in Development Economics from Williams College, USA in 1992.