Staff Reporter : Bidi Workers have demanded an increase in their wages and withdrawal of tax on bidi industry. They made the demands at a rally organised by Bangladesh Bidi Sramik Federation on the occasion of `May Day’ in front of the National Press Club on Friday.
Their demands include withdrawal of taxe on bidi industry, increase in wages of workers engaged in bidi industry, withdrawal of discriminatory advance income tax on bidis and cigarette, ration facilities introduce for bidi workers and stopping production and sale of fake bidis.
The speakers 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 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.
They also urged the authorities to take necessary steps to halt unlawful bidi manufacturers and counterfeit bidi. They should be arrested and punished.
Advance income tax on cigarettes is 5 percent and advance income tax on bidis is 10 percent. We want to repeal this discriminatory advance income tax.
Bangladesh Bidi Sramik Federation Vice President Nazim Uddin, Anower Hossain, Joint Secretary Abdul Gofur, Abul Hasnat Lavlu, organizing secretary Shamim Islam, among others, spoke in the function while the General Secretary Harik Hossain moderated it.