DHAKA: Supreme Court’s Appellate Division upheld a High Court order declaring “illegal” the charge taken from patients as Value Added Tax (VAT) on prescriptions and diagnostics.

A full bench of the Appellate Division, led by chief justice Mohammad Fazlul Karim, rejected a government petition against the High Court order.

On July 14, 2009, the High Court directed the government and authorities concerned not to tax patients for prescriptions and pathological tests.

An HC bench comprising Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Momtaz Uddin Ahmed declared the realisation of such VAT from patients illegal.

The HC verdict came in response to a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Manzill Murshed on behalf of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.

Later on February 15, 2009, lawyers Julhas Uddin Ahmed, Mohammed Abdul Bari and Golam Mostafa lodged the writ petition against the HC ruling.

Supreme Court lawyer Manzill Murshed, also counsel for the petitioners, on Sep 27 last year issued legal notices on 16 city hospitals—including top ones like Apollo, United and Square—for allegedly charging patients for VAT violating the High Court order.

Deputy Attorney-General Moniruzzaman stood for the state and petitioner Manzill Murshed on the other side.

BDST: 2106 HRS, July 8, 2010