Grameen Kalyan appeals against HC verdict directing Tk 666cr in back taxes

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Grameen Kalyan, an organisation founded by former chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, has appealed against a High Court verdict directing it to pay Tk 666 crore in back taxes claimed by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) for five fiscal years.

The organisation’s lawyers filed the appeal with the relevant section of the Supreme Court on Sunday (October 18).

On October 10, the High Court released the full text of its verdict, directing the NBR to immediately issue a demand notice to recover the outstanding Tk 666 crore.

The verdict was delivered by a bench comprising Justice Mujibur Rahman Mia and Justice Rezaul Karim. In its observations, the court said Grameen Kalyan could not claim tax deposited through withholding-tax challans in the name of Grameen Telecom as payment of its own tax liabilities.

The court described the practice as a classic example of tax evasion.

Grameen Kalyan had earlier approached the court challenging the legality of the NBR’s tax demand. However, the High Court dismissed its writ petition on September 10.

The latest appeal seeks to challenge that ruling and the subsequent direction to recover the disputed tax amount.