Several hundred Bidi workers on Thursday demanded the withdrawal of discriminatory tariffs on bidis to save the workers.
They made the call at a human chain held in front of the Pabna Divisional VAT Office at Pabna Dak Bungalow intersection. More than five hundred workers participated in the human chain which organised by Pabna District Bidi Mazdoor Union.
MK Bangali, central president of Bangladesh Bidi Sramik Federation, acting president Amin Uddin BSc, General Secretary Abdur Rahman, Central Joint-Secretary and President of Pabna District Bidi Mazdoor Union Herik Hossain, central Publicity Secretary Shamim Islam and others spoke at the event.
Central president of the Bangladesh Bidi Sramik Federation MK Babgaku, called for meeting the demands of bidi workers, saying the National Board of Revenue (NBR) had only imposed excessive tariffs on bidis. We think it has done a job at the National Board of Revenue (NBR) fueled by a completely “multinational cigarette company” which is not desirable at all.
Referring to the budget, he said that in the budget of the current financial year, where only Tk 2 per packet of cigarettes has been increased while Tk 4 increased on bidi. It is extremely discriminatory behavior and slapping on bidis. It’s a strong hit on the weak.
MK Bangali also said millions of workers had lost their jobs due to the closure of the bidi factory during Covid-19 (Corona) situation at a time when the world was on the brink of collapse. Bidi workers are living a very inhuman and miserable life.
MK Bangali strongly demanding said that withdrawal of additional price of Tk 4 on bidi and declaration of bidi as factory industry that the guarantee of work 6 days a week, the 10 percent advance income tax on bidis should be withdrawn.
Later, the bidi workers handed over a memorandum to the chairman of the National Board of Revenue through the Pabna Divisional Tax Commissioner.
