The High Court today directed the government to collect all kinds of due revenues, including value added tax (VAT) and tax, from internet companies like Facebook, Google, YouTube and Amazon, which have earned income from the country in the last five years.

The authorities concerned of the government, including the board of revenue, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission and Bangladesh Bank have been asked to collect the payments under the practicing laws of the country.

Delivering a verdict on a writ petition, the HC also ordered the authorities to submit separate reports on the progress of implementing the directive to this court every six months.

The court kept the writ petition as a continuous mandamus case so that any citizen of Bangladesh can move prayer before it for necessary directives to this effect.

The HC bench of Justice Md Ashraful Kamal and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil came up with the judgement following a writ petition filed collectively by six Supreme Court lawyers, including Mohammad Humayun Kabir Pallab, Mohammad Kauser and Md Sajjadul Islam in 2018 seeking necessary directives on the issue.