The Supreme Court's Appellate Division set August 4 to hear arguments from Newspaper Owners Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) President AK Azad on the ninth wage board, including matters pertaining to income tax payment. The hearing was held on Monday.
Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan, leading a three-member bench, issued the order during proceedings on two separate leave-to-appeal petitions filed by the government. These petitions challenge a High Court verdict that deemed illegal certain recommendations of the cabinet committee in the ninth wage board award.
The cabinet committee's recommendations, detailed in Chapter 12 of the wage board, propose that journalists and newspaper employees should be responsible for paying their income taxes and receiving only one gratuity per year.
Additionally, it suggests implementing decisions of the ninth wage board in phases.
The High Court's November 6 verdict last year, responding to a writ petition filed by Md Mabubuzzaman of the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Employees Union, declared these recommendations unlawful and void.
In its ruling, the High Court stated, "The recommendations of the cabinet committee in Chapter 12 of the 9th News Paper Wage Board Award, approved by the government and published in the Bangladesh Gazette on September 12, 2019, regarding payment of income tax by employees of newspapers and news agencies and gratuity equivalent to one month's basic salary by the employer/establishment, are declared illegal, without lawful authority, and of no legal effect."
The court upheld the petitioner's entitlement to receive benefits as per the ninth Newspaper Wage Board's recommendations published on September 12, 2019.
The government, represented by the Attorney General's office, filed two separate petitions seeking leave to appeal against this High Court verdict. Attorney General AM Amin Uddin and Deputy Attorney General Samarendranath Biswas appeared for the government during the recent hearings, while senior lawyer Md Salahuddin Dolon represented the writ petitioner.
