9th wage board: SC to hear NOAB president's arguments on Aug 4

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today fixed August 4 for hearing the arguments from the Newspapers Owners Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) President AK Azad about the payment of income tax and gratuity under the ninth wage board award.

The apex court asked the NOAB president to place arguments of his own or through his lawyer on August 4.

A three-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan passed the order during hearing on two separate leave-to-appeal petitions filed by the government challenging the High Court verdict that declared illegal the cabinet committee's recommendations in the ninth wage board award.

In the 12th chapter of the wage board, the cabinet committee has recommended that the journalists and employees of newspapers and news agencies will themselves pay their income taxes, get only one gratuity a year and the decisions of the ninth wage board might be implemented in phases.

Following a writ petition filed by Md Mabubuzzaman, the then secretary of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Employees Union, the HC on November 6 last year delivered the verdict.

In the verdict, the HC said, "The impugned recommendation of the cabinet committee placed 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 so far relates to the payment of tax on income of the employees of the newspapers and news agencies by the employees and payment of gratuity equivalent to one-month basic salary by the employer/establishment is hereby declared illegal, without lawful authority and is of no legal effect."

The petitioner is entitled to get the "firings benefits" following the recommendation made by the 9th Newspaper Wage Board published in the notification on September 12, 2019, the HC said in the verdict.

Advocate Samir Mallik and Advocate Sadhan Kumar Banik appeared for the BSS and Mabubuzzaman respectively while Additional Attorney General Sk Md Morshed represented the state during the hearing today.