High Court orders Grameen Telecom to deposit Tk50 crore for tax appeals

The High Court has ordered Grameen Telecom to deposit Tk50 crore before filing income tax appeals for 2011-12 and 2012-13 tax years.

The High Court bench of Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar and Justice Sardar Md Rashed Jahangir passed the order on Monday rejecting a petition filed by Grameen Telecom against the order to deposit 25% of the money. As a result, Grameen Telecom will have to deposit Tk50 crore and then appeal, lawyers said.

Barrister Mostafizur Rahman stood for Grameen Telecom while Assistant Attorney General Barrister Tahmina Akhter represented the state.

“In November 2020, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) sent a notice to the Grameen Telecom demanding Tk250 crore in income tax for the two years. Later, Grameen Telecom asked for a waiver as there was no money,” said Barrister Tahmina.

After the application was rejected by the NBR, they sought a waiver of income tax. But then they had about Tk400 crore in one account, she said.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) issued a notice asking for income tax money mentioning that there was money in the account. Later, Grameen Telecom filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging the NBR’s notice. The court also issued a rule on why the notice should not be declared illegal. After visiting different courts in the last three years, the case came to the concerned bench of the High Court.

After hearing the petition on Monday, the court dismissed the writ petition of Grameen Telecom. At the same time, the court ordered Grameen Telecom to deposit 25% of the income tax demanded as per the rules and then file an appeal against the NBR. Dhaka Tribune