NBR hits out at Jamuna Group with media statement detailing development works possible with dues

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has come up with an exceptional attempt to lash out at Jamuna Group.

It released a media statement on Wednesday, detailing development works that could be done with the Tk 2.16 billion the business conglomerate owes in taxes.

These are as follows:

            # Construction of 108,000 box culverts, which means at least 1,690 culverts in                         each of the 64 districts;

            # 108 kilometres of roads in rural areas;

            # Construction of 432 primary schools meaning at least seven in each district;

            # Renovation of 43,200 mosques and temple, that’s 375 in each district;

            # A day's midday lunch for 43.2 million school children;

            # Tk 50,000 microloans for 43,200 unemployed youths;

Nurul Islam Babul. File photo

In addition, the NBR says three times the development works mentioned above can be done with dues of almost Tk 700 billion from the business group's sister concerns, including Aromatic Cosmetics.

The NBR and Jamuna Group are at loggerheads for quite some time now.

The revenue board has sued a daily newspaper owned by the group for running 'defamatory' story against its chairman.

Jamuna Group Chairman Nurul Islam Babul, however, said he finds the NBR statement 'ridiculous'. "We respect the law.”

"The matter of dues with the NBR is now in court. We will accept the court's verdict," said Babul, whose wife Salma Islam is a former state minister and leader of HM Ershad-led Jatiya Party.

The NBR says the Jamuna Group's reply to its letter over the dues was 'very objectionable and indecent'.

"The letter's language and content are very repugnant and rude as well, which appear to manifest personal grudge," reads the NBR statement.

It alleged that the Jamuna boss Babul was using the media outlets he owns--the Bangla daily 'Jugantor' and news channel Jamuna TV, to taint the NBR's image.