Bangladesh News

A Special Court yesterday sentenced former BNP lawmaker M Rashiduzzaman Millat to six years’ imprisonment for evading taxes.

Meanwhile, a Dhaka court sentenced former Awami League (AL) lawmaker Rafiqul Anwar to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment for possessing illegal firearms.

Former BNP lawmaker M Rashiduzzaman Millat was handed his sentenced for evading taxes amounting Tk 1 crore by concealing information and also filing false information about his wealth in tax returns submitted to the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

The court also fined Millat Tk 22 lakh, or in lieu to serve an additional one year and three months in jail.

Judge Mohammad Ashraf Hossain of the Fifth Special Court, set up on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises, issued the verdict against Millat, currently a fugitive. The judge said that the sentence would take effect from the day Millat surrenders, or is arrested.

Millat was sentenced to one-year imprisonment for giving false information in the tax returns he submitted to the NBR in different tax fiscals ranging from 1998-1999 to 2005-2006. He was given five years’ imprisonment for evading taxes by concealing information about Tk 4.5 crore worth of properties in the tax returns submitted in the same fiscals.

The court, however, ordered to make the sentences effective concurrently. As a result, Millat would have to serve a maximum of five years in prison.

The sentences were handed out under sections 165 and 166 of the Income Tax Ordinance, 1984.

Deputy Tax Commissioner Mridul Kanti Das of NBR filed the case against Millat on October 7. A total of 18 witnesses gave deposition before the court on behalf of the state.

AL lawmaker Rafiqul Anwar was handed his sentence by Judge Mohammad Motiur Rahman of the Metropolitan Special Tribunal-7 yesterday.

According to the prosecution, law enforcement agencies arrested Rafiq on April 27 of this year from room no 110 of Hotel Sea Queen at Gulshan with a pistol, two magazines and four bullets.

After his arrest, Rafiq was placed on a three-day remand. Later, an arms case was filed against him with Gulshan Police Station.

Rafiq was also sued on November 16 for amassing wealth worth Tk 3.55 crore illegally and concealing it in the wealth statement submitted to the commission.

Rafiqul Anwar was on the government’s second list of 50 corruption suspects.

Meanwhile judgment is due today on two other tax evasion cases filed against Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) Ward Commissioner Monwar Hossain Dipjol and former state minister for LGRD and cooperative, Ziaul Haq Zia. The Second Special Court will deliver theverdict against Dipjol while the Fourth Special Court against Ziaul Haq Zia.