Chamber court does not stay HC verdict on Grameen Kalyan’s 666cr taka tax payment

The Supreme Court’s Chamber Court has not stayed the High Court verdict ordering Grameen Kalyan, founded by former interim government Chief Adviser and Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, to pay 666 crore taka in taxes claimed by the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

However, the state has been asked not to take any steps to recover the tax until the full text of the High Court verdict is published.

Justice Farah Mahbub of the Appellate Division’s Chamber Court passed the order on Monday (September 14).

Grameen Kalyan’s lawyer Abdullah-Al-Mamun said, “We had filed an application seeking a stay on the High Court order. But the Chamber Judge said that since the full verdict has not been published, no order would be passed at this stage. However, the state cannot take any steps to recover the money at this moment either.”

On 10 September, a High Court bench led by Justice Md Mozibur Rahman ruled that Grameen Kalyan must pay the taxes.

Fida M Kamal, Sardar Jinnat Ali and Abdullah-Al-Mamun represented Grameen Kalyan in court.

The case concerns tax demands for the 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 tax years.

Grameen Kalyan, with Muhammad Yunus as its chairman, filed separate writ petitions in 2017 challenging the tax demands.

Following the initial hearing, the High Court issued rules in the cases.

After hearing the rules, the High Court delivered its judgment, against which the NBR filed separate leave-to-appeal petitions.

On 11 March, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court disposed of the leave-to-appeal petitions and directed the High Court to hear the matter on its merits.

Following the hearing, a High Court bench comprising Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar and Justice SM Moniruzzaman dismissed the rules and delivered its verdict on 4 August 2024.

After the interim government took office following 5 August, the High Court recalled that verdict. The case was subsequently sent to another bench for hearing.

Following a fresh hearing, the bench led by Justice Mozibur delivered its verdict on September 10, ordering Grameen Kalyan to pay the tax.

The lawyers concerned said they would decide on the next legal steps after the full text of the verdict is published.