Dr Yunus-owned Grameen Kalyan to pay Tk 666 crore in tax

The High Court on Thursday ordered Grameen Kalyan, an institution owned by former interim government chief adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus, to pay Tk 666 crore in taxes after dismissing rules that challenged reassessed tax demands by the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

A High Court bench led by Justice Md Mujibur Rahman Miah delivered the verdict, rejecting previously issued rules concerning the tax claims.

Barrister Abdullah Al Mamun and Barrister Fida M Kamal represented Dr Yunus and Grameen Kalyan during the hearing.

According to case details and judicial proceedings, Grameen Kalyan filed two separate writ petitions with the High Court in 2017, challenging the legality of reassessed tax demands issued by the NBR for five tax years: 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17.

The High Court had issued rules on the NBR’s tax demands following preliminary hearings on the petitions.

On October 4, in the changed context following the July 2024 mass uprising, a High Court bench comprising Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar and Justice Sardar Md Rashed Jahangir suo motu withdrew its earlier verdict requiring payment of Tk 666 crore in tax.

The bench also sent the case records to the then Chief Justice for reconsideration.

The Chief Justice subsequently referred the two writ petitions to a new High Court bench led by Justice Md Mujibur Rahman Miah for rehearing. The new bench dismissed the rules after hearing the matter and delivered its final verdict on Thursday.