Grameen Kalyan has to pay Tk 6.66b: HC

The High Court (HC) on Tuesday indicated that Grameen Kalyan (GK), an organisation headed by Noble Laureate Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus, has to pay Tk 6.66 billion as income tax for five assessment years - from 2012-2013 to 2016-2017.
The HC bench of Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar and Justice S M Maniruzzaman asked the GK lawyers to take instructions from the organisation's authorities on how they would pay the tax amount.
Giving the option, the HC bench set next Sunday, August 4, for delivering verdict on the issue.
During the hearing, GK's lawyer Sarder Jinnat Ali offered the court to pay the amount through installments worth Tk 1.0 billion per year. But the court refused it.
However, Assistant Attorney General Tahmina Polly, who represented the state during the hearing, offered to pay at least 50 per cent of the dues at once and the remaining amount through installments.
Upon hearing both the parties, the court asked the GK lawyers to take instructions from their client. Otherwise, the court would give an instruction from its consideration.
In 2017, the Tax Zone-14 in Dhaka, by issuing two separate notifications on 7 and 11 September, claimed Tk 6.66 billion as income tax from Grameen Kalyan for the assessment years from 2021-2013 to 2016-2017.
The tax office also granted two weeks time to the entity and fixed 21 September for holding hearing on the issue.
Appearing on that day, GK sought one month time from the tax office for collection of required documents. However, the tax office rejected the prayer and passed an order on 26 September.
Later, Grameen Kalyan filed a review petition, which was also rejected by the tax office on 14 November. The organisation then moved to the High Court and filed two separate writ petitions on different grounds.
Upon hearing the petitions, a HC bench on 26 November issued a rule, asking the government to explain as to why the tax office orders on 14 November and 26 September should not be declared illegal.
In 2023, the HC bench of Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar and Justice Sardar Md Rashed Jahangir on 17 October delivered a verdict, based on the rule issued in 2017.
The HC bench set aside the order, passed on 11 November 2017, and disposed of the rule with some observations.

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