Bidi workers demand withdrawal of advance income tax

Dhaka, Bangladesh || Thursday, 30 April 2026 || 16 Boishakh 1433

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Bidi workers demand withdrawal of advance income tax

Staff Reporter

Published : Tuesday, 8 March, 2022 at 6:12 PM, Count : 1170

Bidi workers demand withdrawal of advance income tax

Bangladesh Bidi Sramik Federation has formed a human chain in the capital on Tuesday demanding to press home a five-point charter of demand including withdrawal of 10 percent income tax on bidi in the budget.

Over two hundred bidi workers gathered in front of the National Board of Revenue and formed a human chain there at around 11:00am.

Addressing the human chain, the workers demanded non-issuance of bidi factory license without inspecting the spot, enactment of protection law for the workers engaged in the bidi industry and taking legal action against the counterfeiters by the customs authorities.

After the human chain, the leaders of the bidi workers handed a memorandum over to the chairman of National Board of Revenue to press home their demands.

Abdur Rahman, a chief guest of the human chain, said, “Millions of workers including the helpless, disadvantaged, extremely poor, physically handicapped and widows make a living by working in the bidi sector. But the country's ancient labor-intensive industry is being destroyed by the conspiracy of foreign multinational companies.

Multinational companies were smuggling thousands of crores of rupees abroad by burning the lungs of the people of this country. Some corrupt local officials are taking advantage of foreign multinational companies and imposing excessive taxes on bidis. Bidi owners are being forced to close their factories as they cannot bear the burden of this exorbitant tax, he said

As a result, the workers are living a dehumanized life. Besides, advance income tax on cigarettes is 3 percent and advance income tax on bidis is 10 percent. We want to repeal this discriminatory advance income tax.

Nazim Uddin Vice president said, “Some unscrupulous bureaucrats are conspiring to increase tariffs on bidis to give foreign cigarette companies a monopoly. Due to the increase in tariffs, unscrupulous traders are making fake bidis and marketing them to evade the tariff.

The government is being deprived of huge amount of revenue. It is even creating confusion in the minds of the people by hiding the real number of bidi workers to destroy the bidi industry and workers. We strongly condemn and protest against this, he said.

If there is a conspiracy against the bidi workers, we will be forced to go for a tough movement,' he added.

Presided over by Bangladesh Bidi Sramik Federation Vice president Nazim Uddin, Bangladesh Bidi Sramik Federation joint-secretary Harik Hossain and its general secretary Abdur Rahman spoke in the human chain.

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