Businessman gets 19-yr jail for tax evasion

A Chittagong court on Thursday sentenced a businessman to 19 years imprisonment for evading tax worth about Tk 0.7 million (700,000), court officials said. The special divisional court of Ataur Rahman handed down the punishment to Bikash Chowdhury, a businessman in Chittagong city, for dodging the tax. The court also fined the defendant the same amount he had evaded. Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case accusing Chowdhury of evading tax worth Tk 698,000 after importing fabrics between 2000 and 2002, according to state lawyer Mahmudul Haq. He added that case was filed with Bandar Police Station of the port city. Five witnesses was crossed examined during the trial process. The defendant was present at the dock when the court pronounced the verdict, according to a news agency.