4 hrs ago
Bangladesh Court Orders Grameen Kalyan to Pay $54 Million
A court in Bangladesh said Grameen Kalyan must pay about $54 million in taxes.
Grameen Kalyan was founded by Muhammad Yunus.
The National Board of Revenue said the organization had not paid enough taxes from 2012 to 2017.
Yunus’s lawyers disagree with the decision.
They said they will ask a higher court to review it.
The amount’s payment deadline will be known when the court releases the full judgment.
An earlier court decision on the same tax claim was withdrawn in October 2024.
A new bench later heard the case and issued Thursday’s ruling.
Bangladesh’s High Court ordered Grameen Kalyan to pay Taka 666 crore, or about $54 million, in taxes.
The National Board of Revenue alleged the organization evaded taxes between 2012 and 2017.
A two-judge bench upheld the revenue authorities’ tax claim after reviewing the case.
Muhammad Yunus’s lawyers said they would appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division.
The case was reassigned after an earlier ruling was withdrawn in October 2024.
- Who
- Bangladesh’s High Court, Grameen Kalyan, the National Board of Revenue, and Muhammad Yunus’s legal team.
- What
- The High Court ordered Grameen Kalyan to pay Taka 666 crore, approximately $54 million, in taxes.
- Where
- Bangladesh’s High Court.
- When
- The ruling was delivered on Thursday; the articles do not specify the date. The disputed taxes cover 2012 to 2017.
- Why
- The National Board of Revenue alleged that Grameen Kalyan evaded taxes, and the court upheld the agency’s claim.
Revenue Authorities’ Position
Yunus’s Legal Team’s Position
Tax liability
Revenue Authorities’ Position
The National Board of Revenue alleged that Grameen Kalyan evaded taxes from 2012 to 2017, and the High Court upheld the agency’s demand.
Yunus’s Legal Team’s Position
Muhammad Yunus’s lawyers opposed the tax claim and said they would challenge the High Court’s judgment before the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division.
Case outcome
Revenue Authorities’ Position
The High Court dismissed the challenge to the National Board of Revenue’s demand and ordered payment of Taka 666 crore.
Yunus’s Legal Team’s Position
Yunus’s lawyers said the final payment deadline cannot be determined until the full text of the verdict is released.
Key facts
- Tax amount
- Taka 666 crore, or approximately $53,997,788.16
- Tax period
- 2012–2017
- Claiming authority
- National Board of Revenue
- Court
- Bangladesh High Court
- Appeal
- Yunus’s lawyers said they will challenge the ruling before the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division.
- Payment deadline
- To be determined after the full judgment is released
- Organization founder
- Muhammad Yunus founded Grameen Kalyan in 1996
Quotes
Khaja Tanvir
Lawyer for Muhammad Yunus
“The High Court has dismissed the (previous) rule challenging the NBR's tax demand, upholding the claim made by the revenue authorities.”
telegraphindia.com










