Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) on Tuesday stayed the National Board of Revenue’s decision of freezing the bank accounts of Robi Axiata Limited, the country’s second largest mobile operator, on allegations of dodging Tk 18.72 crore as value added tax and supplementary duty.
The HC bench of Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Robi Axiata Ltd.
Barrister Tanjib-ul Alam appeared for the Robi Axiata, while Deputy Attorney General S M Moniruzzaman stood for the state.
Tanjib-ul Alam said, “National Board of Revenue (NBR) on Monday in letters directed all the banks to freeze all the accounts of Robi Axiata Ltd for three days. To stop it, Robi Axiata filed a writ petition on Tuesday challenging the legality of that letter. The HC stayed the effectiveness of that letter and also issued a rule after hearing the writ petition.”
In the rule, the court wanted to know as to why the letter of the NBR, directing all the banks to freeze all the accounts of Robi Axiata Ltd for three days, should not be declared ultra vires to the Constitution and without lawful authority.
Deputy Attorney General S M Moniruzzaman said, they will appeal against the HC order.
Meanwhile, Robi Axiata on Tuesday said in a press release that all the bank accounts of the mobile phone operator had been active soon after the HC order.
The High Court (HC) on Tuesday stayed the National Board of Revenue’s decision of freezing the bank accounts of Robi Axiata Limited, the country’s second largest mobile operator, on allegations of dodging Tk 18.72 crore as value added tax and supplementary duty.
The HC bench of Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Robi Axiata Ltd.
Barrister Tanjib-ul Alam appeared for the Robi Axiata, while Deputy Attorney General S M Moniruzzaman stood for the state.
Tanjib-ul Alam said, “National Board of Revenue (NBR) on Monday in letters directed all the banks to freeze all the accounts of Robi Axiata Ltd for three days. To stop it, Robi Axiata filed a writ petition on Tuesday challenging the legality of that letter. The HC stayed the effectiveness of that letter and also issued a rule after hearing the writ petition.”
In the rule, the court wanted to know as to why the letter of the NBR, directing all the banks to freeze all the accounts of Robi Axiata Ltd for three days, should not be declared ultra vires to the Constitution and without lawful authority.
Deputy Attorney General S M Moniruzzaman said, they will appeal against the HC order.
Meanwhile, Robi Axiata on Tuesday said in a press release that all the bank accounts of the mobile phone operator had been active soon after the HC order.
