Withdraw plan to tax bidi industry
Urges HR chief
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman Prof Mizanur Rahman urged the National Bureau of Revenue to withdraw its plan to impose new taxes on the bidi industry considering the interests of the workers there.
This industry is being gradually destroyed and hiking taxes would cause many bidi factories to close, axing the jobs of the workers there, the majority of whom are women, he said.
Prof Mizanur was addressing a views exchange meeting, “Politics of smoking and cigarette business versus the unemployment of bidi labourers”, organised by Research and Development Collective (RDC) at the capital's National Museum on Sunday.
Representatives and leaders of the workers, at the meeting, demanded the government to increase tax on cigarettes by at least five-fold.
RDC General Secretary Zannat-e-Ferdous presented a keynote at the meeting, presided over by Prof Mesbah Kamal of Dhaka University. Public health expert Dr Muhammad Abdus Sabur, Bidi Sramik Federation General Secretary MK Bangalee and some female workers of bidi factories also spoke.
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