Shahnaz Rahman and Latifur Rahman top taxpayers
Late chairman of Transcom Group, Latifur Rahman, has been named the highest taxpayer in the senior citizen's category and the present chairman Shahnaz Rahman, top taxpayer in the women's category. Top taxpayers in the journalist's category are Daily Star's editor and publisher Mahfuz Anam and Prothom Alo's editor Matiur Rahman.
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has named Mediaworld, Mediastar and Transcraft.
Two companies of the Transcom Group -- Mediastar Limited and Transcraft Limited-- are on the list of highest taxpayers in the print and electronic media category. The Bangla national daily, Prothom Alo, is published by Mediastar Ltd. Mediaworld Limited (The Daily Star) also features in this category. Transcom Group, along with others, also owns this company.
According to the National Tax Card Policy 2010 (Amendment), NBR published the names of 76 individuals and 53 companies as top taxpayers of the 2019-20 tax year. NBR will honour the top taxpayers with tax cards.
Senior citizen and women's category
In the NBR circular, the name of textiles and jute minister Dastagir Gazi tops the list of the senior citizen's category. The name of the late chairman of Transcom Group, Latifur Rahman, is next on the list. Latifur Rahman breathed his last on 1 July 2020 at the age of 75 at his home in Cumilla.
He also owned the Bangladesh franchises of the international food chains Pizza Hut and KFC, as well as of Pepsi and Philips. The Transcom Group's businesses include pharmaceuticals, electrical and electronic products, tea, media and more.
Since 2019, NBR has been conferring the title of 'Kar Bahadur' or 'tax icons' on 84 families. Latifur Rahman and his family were conferred with this title.
Topping the list of taxpayers in the women's category is Laila Hossain, general manager of the pharmaceutical company Drug International. Next on the list is Shahnaz Rahman. After the death of Latifur Rahman, his wife Shahnaz Rahman took over as chairman of Transcom Group. She had previously been director of the group for many years. In 2019 Shahnaz Rahman had been named top taxpayer in the women's category.
Journalist category
Editor of the Daily Star, Mahfuz Anam, has been named the highest taxpayer in the journalist category this time. He is followed by Mohammad Abdul Malek, editor of Chattogram's daily Azadi. However, he is also a businessman outside of his journalist profession. Next on the list is editor of Prothom Alo, Matiur Rahman. Mahfuz Anam and Matiur Rahman were named as top taxpayers in 2016, 2017 and 2019.
The others among the top five in the journalist category are director (news) of Channel i, Shaykh Siraj, and senior journalist Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul.
Print and electronic media
Three of the four top taxpaying companies in the print and electronic media category belong to the Transcom Group. Topping this list is Mediastar Limited, with Transcraft Limited coming up third. Both are directly owned by Transcom Group. The Daily Star and Prothom Alo are printed from Transcraft Group. The other top taxpaying company in this category is East West Media Group Limited.
Recipients of tax cards can avail all sorts of state facilities such as use of CIP lounge at the airports, booking priority in five-star hotels, cabin facilities for the cardholder and family in all government hospitals, priority in tickets for air, railway and river travel and invitations to national events as well as receptions organised by the city corporations, pourashavas and other local government events. The card is valid for one year.