Two District Judges have been appointed as members of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal under the Department of Internal Resources, marking the first such appointments in almost 12 years.
The judges appointed are Mohammad Samshul Haque and Mohammad Anisur Rahman.
While the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal allows for the appointment of working and retired tax commissioners, district judges, chartered accountants, cost and management accountants, advocates, and tax lawyers, for an extended period, only working tax commissioners have fulfilled these roles.
Taxpayers have long been advocating for the appointment of professionals from outside the tax cadre as members of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, in accordance with the Income Tax Act.
Since the financial year 2013-2014, no judicial officer had been appointed to the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal until these recent appointments, which occurred after almost 12 years.
Appointed District Judge Mohammad Samshul Haque joined the Bangladesh Judicial Service through the 22nd BCS.
He was subsequently promoted to the rank of District and Sessions Judge and served as a Special Judge (District and Sessions Judge) in Jessore District.
Throughout his career, Haque has held various significant administrative roles and managed cases for the
Anti-Corruption Commission, in addition to overseeing civil and criminal cases across multiple districts. He earned first-class honors and a first-class Master's degree in Law from Islami University.
Mohammad Anisur Rahman joined the Bangladesh Judicial Service through the 24th BCS and was later promoted to the position of District and Sessions Judge.
He has served as a Judge in the Women and Child Abuse Prevention Tribunal in Mymensingh District.
Additionally, he has carried out judicial duties in various field-level positions.
Rahman holds first-class honors and a Master's degree in Law from Rajshahi University, as well as a Master's degree from the University of York, UK.
These recent appointments are expected to enhance the functionality of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, bolster taxpayer confidence in the Income Tax Department, and positively impact the country’s revenue collection, according to a statement from the NBR.