The sudden freezing of the bank accounts of Asiatic 3sixty by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has placed the livelihoods of its employees, their families, and its extended partners at serious risk and raised concerns with deep empathy, Sara Zaker, Group Chairperson of Asiatic 3sixty said in a statement issued on Sunday.
Following the instructions of the Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), bank accounts belonging to 17 companies under Asiatic 3sixty, along with those of 6 board members and 2 employees, were frozen. No prior notice or official warning was issued to Asiatic in this matter, she claimed in her statement.
Since, in this case, the media reports and or any communication from the banks included any specific allegation, the Tax and legal team of Asiatic has reached out to the relevant authorities to better understand the issue, she added.
At present, Asiatic 3sixty directly employs more than 700 permanent staff and nearly 4,000 contractual employees nationwide. Its operations are deeply connected to the country's media industry, including television, radio, print, online, and digital media platforms. Asiatic works closely with artists, musicians, technicians, and professionals from various creative fields. In addition, over 500 vendors and service providers specializing in sound, lighting, set design, printing, photography, and other technical solution providers are associated with Asiatic's operations.
"Today, Asiatic remains the only agency group in Bangladesh that works exclusively in marketing communications and related services. We are not involved in any other business. Over the last five years alone, Asiatic has contributed more than Tk 7.5 billion to the national exchequer in the form of VAT, taxes, and various government fees."
Sara Zaker on freezing of Asiatic 3sixty's bank accounts
FE Team | Published: May 05, 2025 00:32:07
Sara Zaker on freezing of Asiatic 3sixty's bank accounts
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