Hashem family indicted for tax evasion

A Dhaka court yesterday framed charges against Partex Group Chairman MA Hashem and nine others including his wife and six sons in a tax evasion case.
Judge Mohammad Zohurul Haque of the Senior Special Judge's Court passed the order and fixed May 3 for the case's trial.
Hashem and the other accused, now on bail, pleaded not guilty and demanded justice before the court after the charges were read out to them.
Besides the chairman, the accused are his wife Sultana Hashem, six sons-- Aziz al Kaiser, Aziz al Mahmud, Aziz al Masud, Shawkat Aziz, Ashfaque Aziz and Rubel Aziz, the company's Accounts Officer Mozammel Haque and General Manager (finance and accounts) Peyar Ahmed.
Of Hashem's sons, Rubel is the company's incumbent managing director and the others are directors.
Earlier, defence lawyer Sanaullah Miah submitted a petition saying that the accused held a meeting with the National Board of Revenue (NBR) on April 6 to settle the matter. But the NBR fixed June 6 for further discussion.
So, the hearing of yesterday's charge framing should be postponed, Sanaullah said in the petition.
The court, however, framed charges saying that if the accused settle the issue with the NBR on June 6, the case will be withdrawn.
The NBR filed the tax evasion case on February 27. After scrutinising documents relating to tax evasion, the court issued arrest warrants against the accused.
In the case statement, NBR Deputy Tax Commissioner Ayesha Siddiqua Shelly said the accused concealed information of around Tk 597 crore income from the company in their tax returns for fiscal years 2005-06 and 2007-08. Moreover, they provided false information about the company's expenditure.
Meanwhile, the same court charged Hashem in another tax evasion case.