The High Court ruled on Thursday (7 March) that Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus must pay Tk119 crore in taxes to the National Board of Revenue (NBR).
The High Court bench of Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar and Justice Sardar Md Rashed Jahangir made the decision on Thursday.
Assistant Attorney General Tahmina Polly told the media that the bench ordered the chairman of Grameen Telecom to pay all outstanding taxes from 2011 for the next five years.
The ruling came after the court resolved a case filed by Dr Yunus challenging the tax demanded by the NBR.
Yunus Center had earlier issued a statement on the issue of tax evasion. In the statement, they clarified their stance regarding the issue of tax arrears. Yunus Centre says that the money that is being talked about in newspapers and television is all the money earned by Professor Yunus.
According to the statement, his (Dr. Yunus) sources of income are mainly fees received from his lectures, money from book sales and prize money. Almost all of its money has been earned abroad. The tax authority is aware that this money has been legally brought into the country through banking channel because the account of all the money is mentioned in his income tax return.