Warrant to arrest ex-MP

A Dhaka court yesterday cancelled bail and issued an arrest warrant against former BNP lawmaker and Partex Group Chairman MA Hashem in connection with a tax evasion case.
Judge Mohammad Zohurul Haque of the Senior Special Judge's Court passed the order after additional public prosecutor Shah Alam Talukder prayed for cancellation of Hashem's bail as he went to Bangkok without having permission from the court.
Earlier, Hashem's lawyer Mohammad Sanaullah Mia submitted a petition seeking adjournment of the hearing saying that his client could not appear before the court as he went abroad for treatment.
The court also directed the officer-in-charge of Gulshan Police Station to submit a report by March 8 on execution of the arrest warrant.
The court fixed the same date for hearing on charge framing against Hashem.
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) filed a case against Hashem for evading tax of Tk 4,76,00,000 from 1977-1978 to 2005-2006 fiscal years on August 23, 2010.
In the case statement, NBR Deputy Tax Commissioner Kabir Uddin Mollah said Hashem evaded Tk 4,76,09,845 in income tax on Tk 18,93,42,380 earned from different sources. He repeatedly provided false information about his income and expenditure, the statement said.
Hashem, during submitting his tax returns, said he did not conceal any information about his income and expenditure. But NBR rejected his claim.
Hashem was arrested during the tenure of caretaker government on different charges including graft and later he was released on bail.