Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Tuesday expressed its resentment upon the negligence of three government bodies including the commerce ministry in informing the court regarding the steps taken over the alleged money laundering by the e-commerce platforms.
While hearing on three separate writ petitions filed over e-commerce scams, the High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman said, “The government sides will not respond even after the notice is issued, is it possible?”
The commerce ministry, National Board of Revenue (NBR) and Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) had been asked earlier to submit separate reports containing the information to the HC.
During the hearing on Tuesday the court said the notice was served on the respondents- commerce ministry, NBR and BFIU for submitting the reports to this court, but they did not comply with it.
“Deputy Attorney General Bepul Bagmar, take these issues seriously and inform the attorney general about it. We will not tolerate this type of act,” the HC Bench also warned.
The court, however, granted time till Nov 23 to the state bodies to submit reports over the court queries regarding e-commerce scams.
DAG Bepul Bagmar later said that NBR has communicated with him and informed that the office is yet to receive the HC order.
Following the writ petitions, the HC Bench on September 28 wanted to know from the National Board of Revenue whether it has any policy to collect vat and tax from the e-commerce entities in the country.
It also wanted to know from Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) as to what steps they have been taken already over the alleged money laundering by the e-commerce platforms.
The court also wanted to know about the action plans and updated steps of the 16-member ‘technical committee’ that was formed to create a congenial environment for the scandal-hit digital commerce sector.
The respondents, NBR, BFIU and the Commerce Ministry, have been asked to comply with the court query by November 8 this year.
Supreme Court lawyer Mohammad Shishir Manir filed a petition on September 23 on behalf of 33 consumers of the ecommerce platform ‘e-orange.shop’.
Two other Supreme Court lawyers Md Anwarul Islam and Barrister Pallob Kabir M Humaun filed two other writ petitions as public interest litigations seeking some other directions over the e-commerce scams.
The High Court Bench on September 28 held a joint hearing on the three writ petitions and asked the respondents to submit their statements over the court queries.
Lawyers Mohammad Shishir Manir, Md Anwarul Islam and Pallob Kabir M Humaun appeared in the court on behalf of the petitioners, while deputy attorney general Bepul Bagmar represented the State.
