The Income Tax Intelligence and Investigation Unit (ITIIU) has recovered about Tk442 crore of the roughly Tk6,000 crore identified as evaded tax after launching operations in December 2024, officials said.
Formed as a branch of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the ITIIU is tasked with tracking unpaid taxes and concealed income to stem money flight.
Citing the progress made so far, the officials said their ongoing efforts reflect a shift towards stricter enforcement of tax laws in Bangladesh.
They also informed that their enforcement drives are based on intelligence collected through enhanced surveillance, data-driven investigations and inter-agency coordination.
As a result, the unit has been able to uncover undisclosed incomes and assets that previously flew under the radar.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an NBR official said they are focussing on ensuring swift detection and recovery.
“We are not stopping at exposing irregularities. Following due procedures, we place the highest importance on realising unpaid taxes,” the official said.
The official added that improved monitoring using modern technology along with strengthened institutional capacity have played a key role in identifying such a substantial amount of concealed income and assets.
Around 3,200 income tax files are currently under scrutiny, marking the largest review of its kind in recent years.
A significant share of these suspicious receipts come from individuals with high net worth, large corporations and even financial institutions.
Officials further informed that the high-net worth individuals whose filings are being reviewed include leading doctors, lawyers, journalists and bankers.
But other than reviewing year-end tax receipts, the investigators are also analysing suspect bank accounts, asset declarations, investment records and financial transactions.
The investigations conducted till date have already revealed instances of underreporting income, concealing assets and inflating expenses to reduce tax liabilities, they said.
Other related sources said one of the unit’s biggest achievements was establishing a broad information gathering network.
Relevant data is collected and cross-checked from banks, insurance companies, financial institutions and various government offices, making it increasingly difficult to hide undisclosed income or assets, they added.
Tax officials say that identifying and then recovering large sums of unpaid taxes will ease the revenue deficit and reinforce the message that tax evasion will ultimately be detected.
They added that the amount of tax evasion detected so far will likely rise as ongoing investigations are completed, with plans in place for phased recovery of outstanding dues.
