9th Wage Board: Appellate Division to hear Noab president's arguments on 4 August
The Appellate Division has asked Newspaper Owners Association (Noab) President AK Azad to present his arguments on whether the newspaper owners should pay the income tax of the journalists and employees or whether the journalists should pay it.
He has been asked to present his statement either personally or through his lawyer on 4 August.
A 3-judge appellate bench led by Chief Justice Obaidul Hasan gave the order today (1 July) during a hearing of a leave to appeal petition of the Ministry of Information and the Cabinet Division against the High Court judgment on the income tax payment.
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Advocate Sameeran Mallick appeared on behalf of Bangladesh News Agency (BSS), the writ petitioner. Advocate on record Sadhan Kumar Banik represented the other side.
On 24 July 2023, the High Court gave a judgment in favour of the employees in response to a writ petition of BSS Employees Association challenging the recommendation of the cabinet committee on 9th Wage Broad Award curtailing the existing facilities of newspaper employees regarding their income tax payment on salaries by newspaper employers.
After declaring the recommendations of the High Court panel regarding gratuity and income tax of journalists and employees invalid, a Chamber Court sent the leave to appeal to the Appellate Division without suspending the decision given by the High Court.
Earlier on 18 February, the Appellate Division sided with the Newspaper Owners Association on whether the owners should pay the income tax of the journalists and employees working in the newspaper or the journalists should pay it.
