Summit Group’s Aziz Khan, family issue statement on personal tax returns

Mohammed Aziz Khan, Anjuman Aziz Khan and Ayesha Aziz Khan have taken note of several news reports concerning an inquiry report by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

“We learned of these actions entirely through media reports. We are committed to cooperating fully with any official legal process,” the family said in a press release.

The monetary figures cited in the newspaper reports—Tk330.94 crore for Mohammed Aziz Khan, Tk92.62 crore for Anjuman Aziz Khan, and Tk287.43 crore for Ayesha Aziz Khan (overstated by exactly Tk3 crore)—correspond precisely to the assets that have been regularly, consistently and transparently declared in their respective individual income tax returns filed with the National Board of Revenue (NBR) in Bangladesh.

These income tax returns are comprehensive documents that not only list assets but also clearly state the sources of every item of income. Therefore, allegations of “misdeclaration”, “inconsistency” or a “mismatch” between declared income and assets are fundamentally misplaced, as the reported figures are those declared in the tax returns.

The media reports also correctly note that no information on immovable property is available in the name of Mohammed Aziz Khan. This is because he does not own any immovable property in his personal capacity and, therefore, no such declaration was required or filed in his income tax returns, the press statement reads.

The reports further include broad, ambiguous and generalised accusations of “syphoning money out of the country” or acquiring wealth by “transferring money abroad”. These are serious allegations that should not be made in the absence of any specific basis or evidence in the public domain and prior to the completion of any judicial process.

Mohammed Aziz Khan, Anjuman Aziz Khan and Ayesha Aziz Khan stated that they have always complied strictly with all state requirements and applicable local and international laws, including the laws of Bangladesh.