Fu-Wang, three other Dhaka bars face coordinated tax raids

Customs intelligence investigates alleged duty evasion and illegal alcohol supplies; Fu-Wang denies links to a recently sealed bonded warehouse

The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) has launched coordinated raids on four establishments in Dhaka over allegations of customs duty evasion, tax irregularities and the supply of alcohol from unauthorised sources.

Fu-Wang Bowling and Services, Canvas Restaurant, Habib Hotel International and Margarita Lounge are among the establishments targeted in the operation, the CIID said in a media statement on Saturday evening.

The operation involves several agencies under the National Board of Revenue (NBR), including the Income Tax Intelligence and Investigation Unit, the Central Intelligence Cell (CIC), the VAT Audit Directorate, the VAT Intelligence Directorate and the Dhaka North Customs, Excise and VAT Commissionerate.

According to the CIID, allegations have emerged that some bars, restaurants, diplomatic bonded warehouses and duty-free shops in the capital procure alcohol and alcohol-based products from illegal sources, evade customs duties, value-added tax (VAT) and income tax, and supply the products to unauthorised customers.

The directorate has formed four teams to investigate the allegations and examine possible violations of customs and tax regulations.

Earlier raid on bonded warehouse

The latest operation follows a joint raid late Thursday night by the CIID, the Department of Narcotics Control and the Special Response Battalion (SRB) on Toss Bond Private Ltd, a bonded warehouse in South Gulshan.

Two warehouses at the facility were sealed over allegations that duty-free liquor imported under the bonded warehouse system had been stored there without authorisation. Two other authorised warehouses were also sealed, according to the information provided.

The authorities have yet to publicly establish the full extent of the alleged irregularities or identify all parties potentially involved.

Tax intelligence agencies have also been investigating suspected irregularities in the country's liquor and bar businesses, alongside information concerning the Canadian citizenship and overseas assets of Sheikh Nur Islam and members of his family.

Fu-Wang denies links to Toss Bond

Fu-Wang has rejected claims linking Sheikh Nur Islam or his family to Toss Bond Private Ltd, describing reports associating them with the recently sealed warehouse as false and fabricated.

In a statement, the establishment said neither Sheikh Nur Islam nor his family had any direct or indirect connection with the organisation.

Fu-Wang also said Nur Islam and his family had not accepted the marriage of content creator Salman Muqtadir to his daughter, Disha Islam, and had severed social and family ties with those concerned following the marriage.

The statement did not address the specific allegations concerning the four establishments targeted in the latest raids.

The CIID has not announced the final findings of the ongoing operation. The investigation is expected to examine the sources of the products, the relevant import and warehouse records, tax compliance and the distribution channels used by the establishments concerned.

Any determination of liability will depend on the evidence gathered by the authorities and the outcome of the investigation.