An assistant commissioner of the National Board of Revenue has been suspended upon allegations of facilitating tax evasion through forgery.

“This is a message to all officials that no-one is above the law,” said Md Nojibur Rahman, chairman of the NBR.

Md Zahidul Islam, who deals with Tax Zone 5, has been suspended following allegations against him, according to the notice issued on August 9 by the Internal Resources Division that administers NBR.

After being informed of Islam's alleged unlawful activities, the NBR dispatched a team from its Central Intelligence Cell to conduct an inspection at the tax circle under Tax Zone 5, where Islam has been working for the past three years.

The team found proof that Islam assisted many taxpayers to show a higher amount of assets or to form capital in their wealth statements by showing fake documents, said a senior official of NBR seeking to remain unnamed.  The team later submitted its report to the higher-ups of NBR. “All must work within the premise of the law and no-one can be harassed,” Rahman said, adding that no-one will be spared if engaged in corruption.

After the temporary suspension, the authority will carry out further investigations to ensure justice, Rahman said. The Daily Star tried to reach Islam for his comment but he was unavailable.