NBR honours 141 top taxpayers

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) on Thursday gave out tax cards to 74 individuals, 57 corporations and 10 other entities under different categories for their outstanding contribution to the national exchequer in the previous fiscal year.

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, as the chief guest, handed over the cards to the highest taxpayers at a hotel in the capital.

"The taxpayers are the soul of the country. The government needs huge amount of funds to turn the country into a developed one. So, we all should try to bring other eligible people under the tax net," he said.

The individuals received tax cards under 18 sub-categories while the corporate entities were awarded cards under 14 sub-categories.

Among the 74 individuals, Golam Dastagir Gazi received the tax card under the senior citizen sub-category; Kaus Mia and Syed Abul Hossain in the businessman sub-category; while Dr Pran Gopal Datta got the tax card under the medical specialist sub-category.

Three lawyers – Rafique-Ul-Haque, Mahbubey Alam, and Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh – won the tax cards under the lawyer sub-category, and Rafique Azam under the architect sub-catergory.

Additionally, cricketer Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, and Mashrafe Bin Mortaza got tax cards under the player sub-category, while Babita, Shakib Khan and Anisul Islam Hiru won cards under the actor sub-category.

Musicians Tahsan, SD Rubel, and Momtaz Begum received the cards under the singer sub-category.

Nazrul Islam Mazumder won the tax card under the "other" sub-category.

Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited received the tax card as the highest taxpayer under the banking sub-category, while Standard Charted Bank, National Bank, HSBC Bank, Brac Bank, Pubali Bank, Southeast Bank, and United Commercial Bank also received tax cards under this sub-category.

The Infrastructure Development Company, Investment Corporation of Bangladesh, IDLC Finance, and Bangladesh Infrastructure Finance Fund, received tax cards under the non-banking sub-category.

Grameenphone was awarded the tax card for paying the highest amount of tax in the telecom sector.

The British American Tobacco Bangladesh, American Life Insurance, Sadharan Bima Corporation and Toma Construction were also awarded tax cards under the "other" sub-category.

Tax cardholders will receive various facilities from the government, which include: opportunity to use the Commercially Important Lounge (CIP) lounge at the airport; priority while booking hotel rooms; priority while renting cabins at government hospitals for themselves and their family members; priority in getting tickets for air, rail and water travel while using state-owned transportation services; and invitations to national events organised by city corporations and municipalities.  

Dr Mashiur Rahman, economic affairs adviser to Prime Minister, and AH Mahmood Ali MP were present at the event as special guests while NBR chairman Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan presided over the programme.