The High Court of Bangladesh has ordered Grameen Kalyan, a social business entity founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former Chief Adviser to the interim government Dr Muhammad Yunus, to pay 666 crore taka (approximately £48 million) in outstanding taxes to the National Revenue Board (NBR).
A High Court bench led by Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah delivered the judgment on Thursday, 10 September, after dismissing a rule previously issued in connection with a writ petition filed by Grameen Kalyan. The petition had sought to challenge the legality of the revenue authority’s tax claims. With the dismissal of the rule, the court formally upheld the NBR’s assessment, legally obligating the organisation to clear the cumulative tax dues spanning three separate financial years.
The core of the legal conflict centres on income tax assessments levied by the NBR against Grameen Kalyan’s operations. Seeking legal remedies against the substantial tax bill, the organisation filed a writ petition in the High Court, asserting that the NBR’s financial demands were unjustified. Following extensive hearings and a thorough examination of financial records and legal submissions from both sides, the bench ultimately decided that the tax claims aligned with national revenue laws.
Dr Yunus, globally celebrated for pioneering microcredit and microfinance initiatives through Grameen Bank, established Grameen Kalyan as a non-profit social enterprise aimed at providing healthcare, welfare support, and poverty alleviation services across rural Bangladesh. Over recent years, several organisations associated with the economist have faced rigorous regulatory scrutiny and tax audits regarding their financial governance, tax exemption statuses, and compliance with statutory frameworks. Representatives and legal advisers for Dr Yunus have consistently maintained that all affiliated social entities operate transparently and adhere strictly to existing corporate and fiscal regulations.
Thursday’s judgment marks a critical juncture in the ongoing legal discourse surrounding corporate tax obligations for non-profit entities in Bangladesh. Beyond the sheer magnitude of the 666 crore taka sum, the verdict underscores key legal precedents regarding state taxation powers and institutional liabilities. Legal counsel representing Grameen Kalyan is expected to examine the full text and detailed observations of the High Court’s written judgment once published, evaluating potential grounds to appeal the ruling before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
