Irked ex-NBR chief retires

Unhappy with his transfer orders, former National Board of Revenue (NBR) chairman Badiur Rahman sought voluntary retirement on October 18, the day of his transfer to the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management from the board.
"Senior-level officers are usually asked by their superiors before transfer orders are issued for them, but in my case no one asked me. I did not receive the matter well," Badiur told journalists after handing over the charge to new NBR Chairman Muhammad Abdul Mazid yesterday.
"I may have failed to win the hearts of my masters," he said without specifying anyone.
He said the government did not consider him fit for the post of NBR chairman and Internal Resources Division (IRD) secretary since he was transferred to the food and disaster management ministry as secretary. Similarly the government might consider him unfit for the new post later on, he added.
Badiur was appointed chairman of NBR on January 21 this year and was transferred in a major administrative reshuffle on October 18.
The same day, he applied for voluntary retirement with effect from November 22, as he went on a month-long leave yesterday.
Asked whether he would change his mind if government high-ups requested him, Badiur said his letter has already been received at the establishment ministry and he does not wish to withdraw the letter.
"I made the decision not overwhelmed with emotions but after careful consideration," he said.
While talking about his nine months at the office, he said he launched drives against tax-dodgers following rules and no one was harassed in the process.
He said he had differences of opinion with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over some policy issues, for example, the IMF pressed for separating the income-tax policy department and the implementation department but he opposed it.
The IMF criticised the NBR's 17 percent revenue-growth projection though it was not their jurisdiction, he said.