The Supreme Court today upheld a wage board provision that instructs the owners of newspapers and news agencies to pay the income tax of their employees.

The four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Justice Md Adbul Wahhab Miah gave the verdict after hearing an appeal filed by the government against a High Court judgement.

The HC in 1997 scrapped the provision of the wage board that made the owners of newspapers and news agencies to pay their employees' income tax.

The High Court had delivered the verdict following a writ petition jointly filed by the owners of the Daily Ittefaq, the Sangbad, the Inqilab, the Kohbor and the Azadi challenging the provision of the fourth wage board.

Later, the government filed an appeal with the Supreme Court, challenging the verdict.

Deputy Attorney General Rashed Jahangir said, "The newspapers and news agencies are now running under the eighth wage board where it says the owners will have to pay the income tax of their employees but the finality of this will depend on the Supreme Court judgement."

Following today's judgement, the owners are obligated to pay the income tax of their employees, he said.