DHAKA: A Dhaka court Monday issued arrest warrant against former lawmaker and Chairman of Partex Group MA Hashem shortly after he was sued for tax dodging.

Mohammad Ismail Hossain, acting Judge of Senior Special Judge’s Court, passed the order after hearing on the tax-evasion case filed earlier in the day by Kabir Uddin Mollah, Deputy Commissioner of Tax Zone –2 of the National Board of Revenue.

The court took deposition made by the plaintiff and asked Gulshan thana in the capital and Begumganj thana in his home-district Noakhali to report his arrest by September 29.

Twenty-five persons were made witnesses in the tax-dodging case against the big businessman.

Advocate Shahriar Bhuiyan stood for the government side during the hearing.

The plaintiff in his case alleged  Hashem “evaded paying tax worth Tk 4,07,69,745 on his income amounting to Tk 18,93,42,380 from fiscal year 1977-78 to 2005-06”.

BDST: 1600 HRS, AUG 23, 2010