A private enterprise owned by the family of Mir Shahe Alam, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, has sought complete tax and duty exemptions from the National Revenue Board (NBR). Ruposhi Rice and Pushti Mills, managed by the minister’s son, Mir Shakrul Alam Simanto, submitted the application requesting tax, VAT, and custom duty waivers on imported raw vitamins and minerals used to process fortified rice, flour, and biscuits.
According to NBR sources, the formal appeal was handed over alongside the state minister’s official visiting card. The revenue authority has yet to reach a decision on the matter. Establishing special concessions for individual commercial entities remains highly controversial under existing fiscal frameworks.
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| Ruposhi Rice and Pushti Mills: Operational Profile & Performance Data |
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| Parameter / Metric | Details / Statistic |
+-----------------------------------------+-----------------------------+
| Founding Year | 2022 |
| Production Facility Location | Betgari Mirbari, Shibganj, |
| | Bogura |
| Primary Product | Fortified Rice Kernels |
| Director / Managing Director | Mir Shakrul Alam Simanto |
| Political Link | Son of State Minister Mir |
| | Shahe Alam |
| Public Sector Supply Partner | Directorate General of Food |
| Start of Public Supply Contract | 2023 |
| Total Kernels Delivered to Govt Schemes | 1,198 tonnes |
| Primary Government Distribution Channels | Food-Friendly Programme, |
| | VGD |
| Commercial Kernel Sales (Private) | 20 tonnes |
| Commercial Fortified Rice Sales | 2,000 tonnes |
| Fortified Rice Kernel Mixing Ratio | 1:100 (Kernel to Normal |
| | Rice) |
| Key Raw Material Ingredients Required | Vitamins A, B1, B12, Folic |
| | Acid, Iron, Zinc, |
| | Magnesium, Calcium |
| | Carbonate |
| Total Active Kernel Producers in | 14 operational units |
| Bangladesh | |
| National Annual Import Expenditure on | Approximately $3,000,000 |
| Premix | USD |
| Company Claimed Import Savings via Raw | Up to 50 per cent reduction |
| Import | |
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Ruposhi Rice and Pushti Mills claims to be the first in the country to set up a dedicated premix manufacturing unit. Historically, Bangladeshi producers imported pre-blended vitamin and mineral mixtures under a single Harmonised System (HS) code because individual raw micronutrients are not manufactured locally. The company argues that importing raw ingredients individually will cut national import costs by roughly half, lowering market prices for fortified staples and conserving valuable foreign exchange reserves.
Governance experts have raised serious ethical concerns regarding the use of ministerial credentials to advance family business interests. Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), condemned the practice as a clear breach of public trust and state policy. Using official ministerial status to secure private commercial benefits creates an unacceptable conflict of interest, he stated, urging the NBR to uphold statutory integrity and resist political pressure.
Former NBR member Md Farid Uddin emphasised that Article 19 of the Constitution prohibits granting tailored tax breaks to single private companies. Any tax relief must apply across an entire industrial sector rather than favouring an isolated entity. NBR officials confirmed off the record that duty exemptions are typically restricted to state-run organisations, and even if forwarded, neither the Ministry of Finance nor the Ministry of Law could legally sanction a corporate-specific waiver.
Attempts to contact Mir Shakrul Alam Simanto for comment were unsuccessful. The managing director disconnected phone calls and left messages sent via WhatsApp unanswered.
