Khaleda may sue NBR if it refuses to accept tax

FE Team | Published: August 05, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Former Prime Minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, now in a double-dilemma over giving account of and paying tax on her wealth, may sue the National Board of Revenue (NBR) if it ultimately declined to accept the tax on undeclared money, reports UNB.
"This is an inevitable consequence," Khaleda's lawyer, Ahmed Aazam Khan, told the news agency Saturday afternoon when asked whether his client would file case if the NBR ultimately does not accept the tax paid by his client.
"I am still hopeful…The former Prime Minister paid the tax respecting the law and the NBR should accept the money," he said.
"I am still hopeful that the NBR will accept the money in compliance with its own rules. The way tax was paid, maybe the procedure was wrong…But it can be corrected," he said.
The pleader for the former prime minister, now having odd times in the interim period under the caretaker government, made a strong plea for the NBR to accept the money.
On July 31, Khaleda Zia through her representative deposited about Tk 3.38 million with Bangladesh Bank as tax on her undisclosed Tk 13.30 million.
NBR chairman Badiur Rahman Wednesday told reporters that they would not legalise Khaleda's undeclared money, as she did not pay the tax on NBR's prescribed form. He pointed out that Khaleda did not use the income-tax return in paying the tax.
Khaleda's wealth
surpasses Tk 35m
Meanwhile, the wealth of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has surpassed Tk 35 million in monetary terms and her lawyer says the figure may rise further when the count completes to meet an Anti-Corruption Commission deadline for submitting her account of assets.
"Based on the information accumulated so far, it can be said that the worth of wealth possessed by the former Prime Minister has crossed Tk 35-million mark. Couple of days still to go…There may be some addition to the figure," Ahmed Aazam Khan, Khaleda's lawyer, said on Saturday afternoon.