Court fixes July 21 for charge framing order against Matiur Rahman in graft case

A Dhaka court fixed July 21 to deliver its order on whether charges will be framed against former National Board of Revenue (NBR) official Matiur Rahman in a corruption case over allegations of amassing more than Tk 5.4 crore in wealth beyond known sources of income.

Dhaka Divisional Special Judge BM Tarikul Kabir set the date after concluding the hearing on charge framing in the high-profile case on Sunday (July 5).

According to Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Court Inspector Md Saiful Islam, Matiur was produced before the court from jail. Defence lawyers Anwar Zahid Bhuiyan and Md Borhan Uddin sought his discharge from the case, while ACC prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam argued in favour of framing charges. After hearing both sides, the court kept its order pending until July 21.

The ACC filed two separate cases against Matiur Rahman and his second wife on December 15, 2024, accusing them of acquiring illegal assets and concealing wealth information.

In the case against Matiur, the anti-graft watchdog alleged that he accumulated Tk 5,28,75,939 in wealth beyond known sources of income and concealed information on assets worth Tk 1,27,66,216. The commission later approved the charge sheet.

According to the charge sheet, Matiur allegedly submitted false asset declarations, concealing information on assets worth Tk 1,24,25,211. It further alleged that he amassed Tk 5,40,97,672 in unexplained wealth through abuse of office, bribery and corruption during his tenure as a public official.

Matiur was arrested by the Detective Branch (DB) of police on January 14, 2025, and has remained in custody since then.

The former revenue official came under intense public scrutiny in 2024 after a viral social media post showing a young man named Ifat purchasing a Tk 15 lakh sacrificial goat sparked widespread debate over Matiur's alleged wealth, leading to what became popularly known as the "goat controversy."