Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB) has appealed to the government for exempting the travel tax on performing Umrah Hajj which was imposed in the proposed national budget for 2020-24 fiscal year.
The apex body of the country's travel agents made the request in a letter, signed by its president S N Manzur Murshed, written to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday.
In the letter, ATAB pointed out that according to the 'Travel Tax Law-2003' the travel tax on performing Umrah Hajj has been exempted under the section 4 (1) (h). However, in the proposed budget, the travel tax is exempted only in case of performing Hajj not for Umrah hajj.
In view of the current challenging economic situation, ATAB appealed to exempt the imposed travel tax on performing Umrah and keep the act as it was before for greater interest of the country's pious Muslims.