Grameen Kalyan, a commercial entity owned by Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, has appealed to Bangladesh’s highest court seeking a stay on a High Court ruling requiring it to pay Tk 666 crore in taxes.
The application was filed with the relevant section of the Appellate Division on Monday, September 14, on behalf of Grameen Kalyan’s legal team. The company had earlier challenged the validity of the National Board of Revenue’s (NBR) tax demand in the High Court, which ruled in favor of the tax authority.
The latest move has taken the legal battle to a new stage, with the company seeking to suspend the High Court judgment.
Hearing May Take Place Monday
The application was filed before the Chamber Court on Monday.
Khaja Tanvir Ahmed, a lawyer for Dr Yunus, confirmed the development. He said Grameen Kalyan had sought a stay on the High Court ruling and that the application could be heard by the Chamber Court on Monday.
High Court Ordered Payment Within Three Years
On Thursday, September 10, the High Court ruled that Grameen Kalyan must pay the Tk 666 crore tax claimed by the NBR.
A High Court bench led by Justice Md Mujibur Rahman Miah delivered the judgment, ordering the company to pay the amount within the next three fiscal years.
The latest ruling followed a series of legal proceedings over the tax claims involving Grameen Kalyan.
Case Went Through Several Legal Developments
On October 4, following the July mass uprising, the High Court suo motu recalled an earlier judgment ordering Grameen Kalyan to pay the Tk 666 crore claimed by the NBR.
A High Court bench comprising Justice Mohammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar and Justice Sardar Md Rashed Jahangir recalled the judgment and sent the case records to the Chief Justice. The case was subsequently assigned to a new bench.
Following a reassessment of tax liabilities for the 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16 and 2016–17 tax years, Grameen Kalyan filed two separate writ petitions in 2017 challenging the tax demands.
The High Court initially issued rules after hearing the petitions. However, the new bench dismissed those rules last Thursday.
With the writ petitions dismissed, the NBR is now entitled to recover the disputed amount from Grameen Kalyan as income tax, unless the higher court intervenes.
