DHAKA: The High Court prevented the government from collecting land development tax at enhanced rates for one year.
Tuesday’s verdict by High Court bench of Justice Kazi Reza-ul Haq and Justice Mohammed Ullah came after hearing a supplementary petition filed by Dewan Abdur Rashid, who has been leading an agitation in Barisal seeking its order for prohibiting the government to collect land development tax at enhanced rates.
Petitioner’s lawyer Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua said that his client had filed the writ petition last year challenging the legality of the provision of the Land Development Tax Ordinance, 1976.
The petitioner said in the petition that any tax has to be enhanced or reduced through passing a bill of law by the parliament under the constitution and the government cannot enhance or reduce any tax.
The lawyer also said the land ministry on June 30 last year issued a circular enhancing the land development tax by around 500 percent under the provision of the Land Development Tax Ordinance, 1976.
