Business Report :
Bangladesh Bidi Sramik Federation submitted its seven-point demand to the National Board of Revenue (NBR) including withdrawal of duty on bidi and called for inclusion of Bidi in cottage industries category.
They came up with the demands while organized a human chain in front of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) premises on Thursday.
At the end of the program, the leaders of the federation submitted a memorandum to the NBR chairman. General Secretary of Bangladesh Bidi Shramik Federation Harik Hossain presided over the program while its president Amin Uddin BSC, Vice President Nazim Uddin, Anower Hossain, Joint Secretary Abdul Gofur , Abul Hasnat Lavlu, Organizing Secretary Shamim Islam addressed the human chain.
Around thousand of workers from different parts of the country joined the protest.
Federation’s President Amin Uddin BSC said: ‘The conspiracy to the Bidi industry will not be tolerated in any way.
If there is any plan to increase the taxes on the Bidi in the budget for the fiscal year 2024-25, we will form a rigid movement with 20 lakh Bidi workers.’
He requested NBR chairman to reduce taxes on the Bidi industry considering the unemployment of the helpless, disadvantaged, extremely poor, physically handicapped, widows and starvation stricken people.
General Secretary Harik Hossain said: “Bidi industry has been the victim of discrimination. But the neighboring country of India has announced Bidi making as a homecraft to save the industry.”
The seven points included that withdrawal of duty on bidi industry , withdrawal of 10 percent advance income tax on bidi, increasing the wages of bidi workers, declaring bidi industry as a cottage industry, stopping the aggression of British American Tobacco, stopping of all illegal bidi factors and increasing the price of low quality cigarettes from Tk 45 to Tk 65 of multinational companies.