Dr Muhammad Yunus has paid Taka 12,46,72,608 to the National Board of Revenue (NBR) as tax on donations after the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court ordered him to pay the amount after dismissing a leave-to-appeal in this regard.
He paid this amount through a pay order (Deputy Commissioner of Taxes, Taxes Circle-287, Taxes Zone-14, Dhaka) through Southeast Bank Limited. Dr Yunus’s authorized representative Md Ruhul Amin Sarker deposited this money in the principal branch of Southeast Bank yesterday.
Besides, the issue of paying the tax amount has also been informed to the concerned tax commissioner through a letter.
In the letter sent to the NBR yesterday, Md Ruhul Amin Sarkar told media that upon receiving of notice from the concerned taxes zone to pay the aforesaid due tax on donations, Dr Yunus filed a petition with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
But, the Appellate Division upheld the verdict of the High Court and Dr Yunus came to know about the latest development from the media.
On July 23, a four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, passed the order after hearing the leave-to-appeal submitted by Dr Yunus against a High Court verdict.
Attorney General AM Amin Uddin represented the state during the hearing, while Fida M Kamal and Barrister Abdullah Al Mamun stood for Dr Yunus.
Earlier on June 21, a leave-to-appeal was filed against the High Court verdict. On July 9, the chamber court set July 17 for hearing in the Appellate Division.
On July 17, the Appellate Division adjourned till July 23 the hearing on the appeal against the High Court verdict.
According to the officials concerned, Dr Yunus donated a total amount of Taka 76,73,34,000 to three trusts namely Dr Muhammad Yunus Trust, Yunus Family Trust and Yunus Center Trust. Against such donations, the NBR imposed Taka 15,39,16,800 as tax on donations for the FY12, FY13 and FY14.
Out of the demanded over Taka 15 crore as tax, Dr Yunus has earlier paid Taka 3 crore as a condition for filing the petition with the Appellate Division. Following the Appellate Division verdict, Dr Yunus paid the rest of the amount of Taka 12.46 crore yesterday.
Earlier, Dr Yunus challenged the validity of NBR’s notices and filed a case in the Appellate Tribunal.
On November 20, 2014, his application was rejected. Then in 2015, he filed three income tax reference cases in the High Court.
After that, the High Court ruled on May 31 that the tax imposed by the NBR against the money that he had donated to three trusts was valid.
