The National Board of Revenue (NBR) today honoured Latifur Rahman, the founder and former chairman of Transcom Group, and Shahnaz Rahman, the current chairman of the conglomerate, as the top taxpayers for their exemplary tax compliance for the year 2020-21.

This is the second consecutive year the tax authority recognised Latifur and Shahnaz for their outstanding tax records.

Latifur, who passed away on July 1 last year, was among the top taxpayers in the senior citizen category for his income in the fiscal year of 2019-20, a distinction he previously received in fiscal 2015-16, while his wife Shahnaz was one of the highest female taxpayers in the Dhaka city earlier.

This year, the NBR honoured Shahnaz as one of the largest taxpayers in the country in the women category.

In 2017, the NBR honoured Latifur's family as Kar Bahadur (tax icon) along with 83 other families.

Md Kamrul Hassan, chief financial officer of Transcom Ltd, received tax cards, crests and certificate of honour
on behalf of Latifur and Shahnaz at an event at the Officers' Club from NBR Chairman Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem.

Md Kamrul Hassan, chief financial officer of Transcom Ltd, receives tax cards, crests and certificates of honour on behalf of Latifur and Shahnaz at the event in Dhaka's Officers’ Club from NBR Chairman Abu Hena Md Rahmatul Muneem. Photo: Star

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal inaugurated the event organised by the NBR to recognise and celebrate tax compliance for the 11th consecutive year.

Besides, for the sixth consecutive year, The Daily Star Editor and Publisher Mahfuz Anam and Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman were also awarded top taxpayers in the journalist category.

Matiur Rahman received tax card, the crest and certificate of honour.

ASM Nazrul Islam, manager for corporate affairs and tax of The Daily Star, received the recognition on behalf of Mahfuz Anam.

The NBR recognised two sister concerns of Transcom Group -- Mediastar and Transcraft Ltd, the owning companies of the Prothom Alo and its printer Transcraft -- as the top taxpaying firms in the print and electronic media category.

The two companies have been receiving the accolade as the biggest taxpayers since fiscal 2015-16, when the NBR decided to broaden the list of the largest taxpayers to honour them with the tax cards to encourage compliance among taxpayers.

Matiur received the tax card on behalf of Mediastar, while Transcom CFO Kamrul received the tax card on behalf of Transcraft.

Among journalists, MA Malek, editor of Chattogram-based daily Dainik Azadi, Faridur Reza, managing director of Channel i, and Abdul Muqeed Majumdar, a director of Channel i, were recognised as the highest taxpayers for the income year of 2020-21.

Malek received the award. Shykh Seraj, a director of Channel I, and head of news, received the recognition on behalf of Faridur Reza, while Abdur Rashid Majumder, chairman of Channel i, received the award on behalf of Muqeed.

In the print and electronic media category, Somoy Media and East West Media Group were also named as the highest taxpayers.