The Supreme Court today stayed for two months a High Court verdict that declared illegal the government order imposing 15 percent income tax on private universities and private medical, dental and engineering colleges.

Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice Mirza Hussain Haider passed the order after hearing a petition filed by the government seeking stay on the HC verdict.

The chamber judge also asked the government to file a leave to appeal petition in two months with the Appellate Division against the HC verdict.

Deputy Attorney General Rashed S Jahangir told The Daily Star that the private universities and medical, dental and engineering colleges have to pay 15 percent income tax to the government following the SC order.

On September 5, the HC declared illegal the government orders that imposed 15 percent income tax on the private educational institutions.

The court also scrapped the three orders on the imposition of tax issued by the government on these private institutions in 2007 and 2010.

The HC also directed the National Board of Revenue to refund the money collected from the writ petitioners from 2007 as income tax.