Cable TV operator evades Tk 10cr tax thru hundi
New Uttara Communications, an illegal cable television network operator in Rajshahi city sent at least Tk 25 lakh every month to three countries -- India, Thailand and Indonesia, running pay channels through piracy.
The operator incurred the government a loss of at least Tk 10 crore in taxes in last three years operating without any license by setting up a few dozen of dish antennas on the roof and installing downlink and broadcast servers inside of a rented house in the city's Pathanpara area.
A mobile court of Rapid Action Battalion led by executive magistrate Sarwar Alam revealed the facts during the ending hours of a raid at the operator's office Wednesday night.
Ehteshamul Islam, owner of the business, managed to flee, but the law enforcers arrested seven staff including chief executive Shahin Reja Mithu, 44, and technician Atikur Rahman, 27.
The court ordered one-year jail term each for the seven and filed a case against the owner. The other employees are -- Jahir Hossain, 35, Shamim, 28, Sagor Ali Bappi, 24, Sagor, 22, and Parvez Ali, 26. The court sealed off the office and seized the equipment.
“They paid the foreign channels Tk 20 to Tk 25 lakh every month running 217 pay channels illegally through internet and 83 channels using analogue gears. They had no license to operate under the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act of 2006 that permits only functioning through approved operators,” said Sarwar Alam.
The operator paid the foreign channels through hundi (a system for transferring money without legal protection or supervision) and the mobile court seized some pay cards of foreign channels. Besides, they ran banned channels including Pogo, Hangama, Fashion TV, and Movie Look, he added.
Meanwhile, hundreds of residents of the area and some parts of Chapainawabganj were seen contacting other operators' as their cable television services were no longer available due to the raid. They also expressed frustration as to why the company was able to conduct business illegally for the last three years.
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