Workers protest bidi tax hike

Hundreds of workers have formed a human chain to protest the tax hiking on bidi from this Fiscal Year 2020-21 which already hasaffected the livelihood of several lakh ultra-poor workers, traders and cultivators amid the coronavirus pandemic.
They have placed five-point demands, including withdrawal of recently hiked of tax Tk 4 per cent in each packet of bidi, removal of advanced income tax on bidi and ensuring six days working facilities in a week for the workers in the factories.
The demands were placed to the journalists from a human chain chaired by KustiaBidiSramikSangramParishadPresident MdNazimUddinheld at in front of the Shilpakola Academy near Majmpur Gate in Kustia district town on Wednesday.
The demonstrators also sent a memorandum with the demands to the Prime Minister through Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the district to take the necessary steps in the in this connection.
They urged the authorities concerned to fix the price of each packet of low quality cigarette at Tk 100 while each packet of bidiTk 10 only and taking initiatives to ban of duplicate bidi in the markets across the country.
Citing that there was no tax on bidi during the regime of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh MujiburRahman, and the Premiere’s previous instruction to reduce tax on bidi industry for fiscal year 2009-10 as the livelihood of workers, traders and cultivators run smoothly, and but ignoring the order, a vested quarter have increased 4 per cent tax in each packet of bidi from the beginning of the current fiscal year while they hiked only two per cent tax in each packet of low and medium level cigarettes that clear the conspiracy against the bidi industry, speakers said.
Following the hiking tax on bidi, maximum owners and producers have closed their factories that snatching the livelihood of several lakh ultra-poor bidi workers and small traders, they said.
They also sought the special intervenes of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to cancel the tax on bidi as the unemployed workers to continue their livelihood by resuming their jobs in respective factories amid the corona pandemic.
Bangladesh Bidi Workers Federation’s Central President MK Rahman, its Executive President Amin Uddin BSs, General Secretary AbdurRahman, and Joint Secretary HerikHossain, among others, were present in the function.