Various agencies of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) are conducting raids on four bars and restaurants in Dhaka, including 'Fu-Wang Bowling and Services Limited', owned by content creator Salman Muktadir's father-in-law Sheikh Nur Islam. On Saturday evening, the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) stated that a 'special operation' is being carried out at these establishments in coordination with NBR agencies. The other three establishments under raid are Canvas Restaurant, Habib Hotel International, and Margarita Lounge.
A CIID press release stated that there are allegations against several bars, restaurants, diplomatic bonded warehouses, and duty-free shops in Dhaka regarding the procurement of alcohol or alcohol-based products from 'illegal sources', evasion of customs duties, VAT, and income tax, and the supply of these products to 'unauthorized' customers.
To investigate these allegations, the CIID has formed four teams. Officials from the NBR's Income Tax Intelligence and Investigation Unit, Central Intelligence Cell (CIC), VAT Audit, Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (VAT Intelligence), and Dhaka North Customs, Excise and VAT Commissionerate are coordinating with these teams to conduct the operations.
Earlier, late on Thursday night, the CIID, Department of Narcotics Control, and Special Response Battalion (SRB) conducted a joint raid on Sheikh Nur Islam's bonded warehouse 'Toss Bond Private Limited' in South Gulshan, Dhaka.
On charges of storing duty-free liquor imported under bond facilities in two 'unauthorized' warehouses, those two warehouses of Toss Bond along with two legal warehouses were sealed. It is learned that tax-collecting intelligence agencies had been investigating various irregularities in the liquor and bar business in the country, as well as obtaining information regarding the citizenship and assets of Sheikh Nur Islam and his family in Canada.
The report mentioned that the speed of these investigations increased recently after those in power were blamed for an attack on Salman Muktadir's studio in the New Guinea Properties project area in Dhaka.
However, Fu-Wang authorities in a statement denied the presentation of Toss Bond as an establishment of Sheikh Nur Islam. They claimed that the way Toss Bond has been presented as an establishment of Sheikh Nur Islam following the recent sealing of a warehouse named Toss Bond is 'completely false and fabricated'. Fu-Wang claimed that Sheikh Nur Islam or his family has no direct, indirect, or even 'the remotest connection' with Toss Bond.
The institution further stated that Sheikh Nur Islam and his family did not accept the marriage of content creator Salman Muktadir with Sheikh Nur Islam's daughter Disha Islam. They claimed that ever since that marriage, all kinds of social and family relations of Sheikh Nur Islam and his family with Salman Muktadir and those concerned have been severed.
