Bangladesh High Commission in London has trashed reports on “non-payment of council taxes” by the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Manchester, UK.
“The news was blatantly misleading and lacked substance,” said the High Commission in a media release on Friday.
Since its establishment in 1973, this mission has been entitled to exemption from local taxes and duties in the UK based on the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961 and Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963, as well as guidelines from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), it said.
The High Commission requested all concerned not to be “misled by such baseless reports” and contact the Mission for further clarification.
This Mission has duly notified the FCDO and the Tameside Council under account Reference: 65559011 regarding the exemption of taxes for property situated at Seamark House, Edge Lane, Droylsden, Manchester, M43 6BB, the media release added.
It has also informed that the above property occupied by the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission and as a diplomatic Mission, as per Vienna Convention of 1961 and 1963, is exempted from paying taxes and duties.
As per guidelines received from UKFCDO, the High Commission said, a filled in the Form-3 was submitted to the FCDO as a notification of occupation of premises by this mission for exemption of the payment of council taxes.
As advised by FCDO, the Mission also submitted the above-mentioned property’s rent, lease and ownership details to the Valuation Office Agency.
The High Commission said the Mission pays all other local service charges, such as waste collection fees regularly.
Source:United News of Bangladesh