Four warehouses belonging to TOS Bond Private Limited, linked to Sheikh Nur Islam, the father-in-law of content creator Salman Muqtadir, have been sealed following allegations that duty-free alcohol was being stored in two unauthorised facilities.
The warehouses were sealed during a joint operation at the company’s premises in South Gulshan late on Thursday night, according to a statement issued by the National Board of Revenue (NBR).
The operation was carried out by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID), the Department of Narcotics Control and the Special Response Battalion (SRB). Officials said the warehouses were sealed after the inspection uncovered what they described as ‘serious irregularities’, with further verification now under way.
A customs intelligence official said the operation began at around 10.30pm on Thursday and continued until 4.30am.
Under Bangladesh’s bonded warehouse system, duty-free imported goods are subject to specific customs controls and may only be released to eligible recipients under the applicable rules. Customs intelligence officials said diplomats working in Bangladesh and certain other individuals entitled to special privileges can purchase duty-free alcohol through the authorised system.
TOS Bond, however, had reportedly come under scrutiny for allegations that duty-free products were being sold on the open market at significantly higher prices. Officials said an inquiry into the company had been under way for several months before Thursday night’s operation.
Questions over authorised storage facilities
According to the NBR, TOS Bond had declared or authorised storage facilities at two locations. Inspectors found that goods were being stored across four warehouses.
Officials said all four facilities were sealed to prevent the possible movement or removal of goods imported under bond facilities while the investigation continues. The action is also intended to preserve the relevant records and facilitate a fuller examination of the company’s operations.
The NBR said the investigation and detailed verification process remain ongoing. No final conclusion has yet been announced regarding the alleged irregularities.
The authorities are also examining the wider business and financial activities of Nur Islam and members of his family. Alongside allegations concerning alcohol and bar-related businesses in Bangladesh, tax investigators have been looking into information about family members holding Canadian citizenship and assets or business interests there.
Canadian records under scrutiny
The NBR’s Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) and the income tax intelligence unit obtained information from Canada as part of their investigation. According to officials familiar with the documents, the material includes information concerning Nur Islam and family members, including their citizenship status, financial transactions and ownership interests in at least four companies.
The Canadian intelligence material also reportedly identifies Nur Islam, his wife Sheila Islam and daughter Tasnim Islam as directors of the bonded warehouse business in Dhaka.
Investigators examined financial records covering the period from 26 April 2012 to 19 April 2022. A total of 163 financial reports from that period were reviewed, according to officials.
The documents reportedly contain 17 records involving what investigators classified as suspicious transactions, two reports concerning attempted suspicious transactions, 118 reports involving large cash transactions, 26 reports relating to transfers through the Electronic Fund Transfer Network (EFTN), and two records concerning cross-border transactions.
The investigation also found information indicating that about Tk 950 million in remittances had been received over a one-year period, officials said.
Several senior officials from the CIC, income tax intelligence unit and NBR provided information about the findings. A summary of the relevant documents was also reviewed by bdnews24.com.
The figures and classifications are part of an ongoing investigation; they do not, by themselves, establish that any particular transaction was unlawful.
Authorities deny link to Salman Muqtadir case
Investigators have said the operation against the bonded warehouse was not directly connected to the recent incident involving Salman Muqtadir’s studio. According to officials, intelligence agencies had already been examining Nur Islam’s business and financial affairs before that incident occurred.
A CIC official told bdnews24.com that Salman Muqtadir was not the focus of the investigation and that the intelligence agencies had been working on the matter beforehand. The official said the investigation had produced information that could lead to further action.
An income tax intelligence official said investigators became particularly interested after obtaining information that Nur Islam and some members of his family held foreign citizenship. The official said those details were not reflected in the tax records available to the authorities at the time.
The official also pointed out that the investigation involves more than income tax. Since the business concerns bonded warehouses, imported goods and duty-free products, customs duties and VAT are also relevant. As a result, several government agencies are working on different aspects of the inquiry.
Studio attack brought renewed attention
The investigation has unfolded against the backdrop of a separate incident involving Salman Muqtadir.
On the night of 26 September, several properties and structures within the New Guinea housing project in South Manikdi, Dhaka, were attacked and vandalised. Muqtadir’s studio, Brownfish, was among the properties damaged.
Following the incident, Muqtadir went live on Facebook and blamed what he described as extortion by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), while also making several remarks directed at Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed. He later withdrew his allegations of extortion against those in power.
A case filed by Saiful Islam Bhuiyan, director of New Guinea Properties, subsequently cited land-related disputes and previous enmity as the reasons behind the attack.
The case names 13 people, including retired Major General Golam Mohiuddin Chowdhury. Between 150 and 200 unidentified people were also listed as accused.
Police have so far reported the arrest of seven people in connection with the case, including Golam Mohiuddin Chowdhury and Mizanur Rahman, son-in-law of Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Abdul Gafur of Kushtia-2.
Separately, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) sought information on Salman Muqtadir’s bank accounts on Wednesday.
The financial intelligence inquiry and the customs investigation into TOS Bond are separate processes, according to officials. The immediate focus of the latest operation remains the storage and movement of bonded goods, while the wider tax and financial inquiries into Nur Islam and his family are continuing.
