Workers demand tax cut on bidi to save industry

The Bogura District Bidi Workers Union formed a human chain on Wednesday, demanding a reduction in the tariff imposed on bidis in the upcoming fiscal year and protection of the bidi industry from the aggression of foreign multinational tobacco companies.

Thousands of bidi workers gathered in front of the Bogura Customs Office and formed the human chain.

The speakers said, ‘Millions of workers, including the helpless, disadvantaged, extremely poor, physically challenged people, and widows, earn their livelihood by working in the bidi sector.

But the country’s traditional labor-intensive industry is being destroyed through the conspiracy of foreign multinational companies.’

‘Multinational companies are smuggling thousands of crores of taka abroad by damaging the lungs of the people of this country.

Some corrupt local officials are helping foreign multinational companies by imposing excessive taxes on bidis.

Bidi owners are being forced to shut down their factories because they cannot bear the burden of these exorbitant taxes,’ they said.

The speakers also said, ‘Some unscrupulous bureaucrats are conspiring to increase tariffs on bidis in order to give foreign cigarette companies a monopoly.

Due to the increase in tariffs, dishonest traders are producing and marketing fake bidis to evade taxes.’

‘As a result, the government is being deprived of a huge amount of revenue.

There are also attempts to create confusion by concealing the actual number of bidi workers in order to destroy the bidi industry and its workforce.

We strongly condemn and protest against this,’ they added.

Addressing the programme, the speakers demanded the withdrawal of taxes on bidis, an increase in the working days of bidi workers, mandatory use of banderols by licensed bidi factories, an increase in the price of low-quality cigarettes, and a halt to the production and sale of fake bidis.

After the human chain, the leaders of the bidi workers submitted a memorandum to the chairman of the National Board of Revenue through the Assistant Commissioner of the Bogura Customs, Excise and VAT Department.

The programme was chaired by Nazim Uddin, vice-president of the Bangladesh Bidi Shramik Federation. Among others, Vice-president Anower Hossain, Lutfur Rahman, General Secretary Harik Hossain, Joint Secretary Abdul Gofur, and leaders Abul Hasnat Lavlu and Shamim Islam addressed the gathering.