Shafiqul Alam, the Press Secretary to the chief adviser, alleged that Saifuzzaman Chowdhury had built a seven-star hotel on the other side of the Karnaphuli Tunnel for personal use, spending Tk450 crore, which he claimed was public money.
He made this statement during a briefing held on Sunday evening at the auditorium of the Foreign Service Academy.
Highlighting previous instances of extravagance, the press secretary said: "A tunnel was built in Karnaphuli, and Saifuzzaman Chowdhury constructed a hotel on the other side with Tk450 crore for his rest. Whose money was that?"
He added: "We aim to ensure that Bangladesh's tax-to-GDP ratio reaches a healthy level, which will contribute to the country's economic growth. Many developmental needs of Bangladesh remain unfulfilled. Keeping this in mind, this initiative was undertaken. In the coming days, this money will be spent for the welfare of the people of Bangladesh."
In response to a question, he said: "We are working on ways to bring back laundered money to Bangladesh. This is our top priority. Theft has occurred on an unlimited scale. We are identifying where this stolen money is located. For example, today, you have seen that a case has been filed regarding a 60-katha plot of land. We are investigating how and where the money has gone, and into which accounts. We are taking the necessary steps for this. We are also communicating with the countries where the money has been transferred."
Shafiqul Alam added: "Macroeconomic stability is crucial for us. Without it, you will see the value of the taka depreciating. Today, one US dollar costs Tk125, and a time may come when it will cost Tk190. To enhance macroeconomic stability, we need to increase the tax ratio. In the last five months, there has been a revenue shortfall of Tk42,000 crore. This expense has to be met somehow."
