DHAKA, July 01, 2024 (BSS) - The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC)
today set August 4 for hearing the arguments from the Newspapers Owners
Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) President AK Azad on the recommendation made
by the cabinet committee in 9th Wage Board Award for journalists and workers
of newspapers and news agencies, regarding their income tax and gratuity.
 
The three-member apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan
passed the order this morning.
 
The court came up with the order while holding a hearing on two separate
leave-to-appeal petitions filed against the High Court judgment that declared
the recommendation made by the cabinet committee in the 9th Wage Board Award
for journalists and workers of newspapers and news agencies, regarding income
tax and gratuity, illegal.
 
The NOAB president would be able to appear in person and submit his arguments
or file that through his lawyer on that day, Advocate Samiran Mallik, on
record, said.
 
Senior jurist Sr Salauddin Dolon took part in the hearing for a writ petition
filed by Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha-BSS Employees' Union.
 
"There is no reason for the state to be aggrieved by that judgment. The
concerned authorities or the owners had so far been paying the income tax of
the journalists, press workers and administrative employees of the newspapers
and news agencies as a fringe benefit. This benefit was maintained up to the
Eighth Wage Board. A recommendation was made to maintain this at the Ninth
Wage Board, as well," he said in the hearing.
 
Additional Attorney General Sheikh Mohammad Morshed and Deputy Attorney
General Samarendra Nath Biswas took part in the hearing for the state.
 
The 9th Wage Board headed by Justice Mohammed Nizamul Huq had proposed that
income tax levied on the salaries of journalists, press workers, and
administrative employees of the newspapers and news agencies have to be paid
by the concerned owners or news agencies.
 
It also recommended that the journalists, press workers, and administrative
employees working at newspapers and news agencies of all categories will get
a yearly gratuity equal to his two months of basic salary based on his last
month's draw, for his service ranging from six months or more.
But, according to the cabinet committee recommendations for the Ninth Wage
Board, income tax levied on the salaries of journalists, press workers, and
administrative employees have to be paid from their respective income.
 
Mohammad Mahbubuzzaman, general secretary of the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha-
BSS Employees' Union, filed the writ petition on November 23, 2020,
challenging the said two provisions of the Ninth Wage Board.
 
The High Court after holding a hearing on the matter, had issued the rule on
November 25, 2020, asking authorities concerned to explain as to why it shall
not declare illegal and beyond legal jurisdiction the recommendation made by
the cabinet committee.