Dr. Yunus’s organisation must pay Tk 666 crore in tax
former Chief Adviser of the interim government Dr. Muhammad Yunus. File photo.
The High Court has ruled that Tk 666 crore in income tax claimed by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) must be paid by former Chief Adviser of the interim government Dr. Muhammad Yunus and his organisation Grameen Kalyan.
A High Court bench led by Justice Md. Mozibur Rahman Mia announced the verdict today, Thursday. The money must be paid within the next three fiscal years.
The High Court dismissed the rule issued following two writ petitions that challenged the validity of the income tax demand.
On August 4, 2024, the day before the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in the July uprising, the High Court had dismissed two writs filed by Grameen Kalyan. Those writs challenged the validity of Tk 666 crore in income tax accumulated for five years, from the 2012-13 to 2016-17 tax years and was unpaid.
Later, that judgment was withdrawn. When the cases were sent to the chief justice, they were sent to a new bench for hearing.
According to case documents, Dhaka Tax Zone-14, through two separate notices on September 7 and 11, 2017, demanded Tk 666 crore in income tax from Grameen Kalyan for the 2012-13 to 2016-17 tax years. It gave two weeks’ time for a hearing.
Grameen Kalyan sought one month to collect the necessary documents, but the tax authority rejected the request. Later, when its review application was also rejected, the organisation filed two writs in the High Court.
After hearing the writs, on November 26, 2017, the High Court issued a rule and stayed the effectiveness of the income tax demand notice for six months. Later, the stay was extended several times.
On October 17, 2023, a High Court bench disposed of the rule, cancelling two orders of the tax authority. However, after hearing a leave to appeal against that judgment, on March 11, 2024, the Appellate Division ordered that the rule be reheard and disposed of on merit.
