Photo : Courtesy
Bangladesh Bidi Sramik Federation has held a discussion meeting to respond to the proposed budget for the proposed 2024-25 fiscal year. The discussion meeting on Sunday at 11 am was held at Zahur Hossain Chowdhury Hall of the National Press Club. At the Meeting, the labor leaders expressed their congratulations, thanks, and gratitude to the Prime Minister for not increasing the tariff on bidis in the proposed budget.
Bidi Workers placed a four-point charter of demands. Their demands are the withdrawal of 10 percent advance income tax on bidi, increasing the wages of bidi workers, declaring bidi industry as a cottage industry and increasing the price of low-quality cigarettes from Tk 45 to Tk 65 of multinational companies.
Harik Hossain, Secretary of Bangladesh Bidi Sramik Federation read a written statement at the discussion meeting. In a written statement, he said that the main competitor of bidi is low-quality cigarettes. Currently, 75 percent to 80 percent of the cigarette market is low. Most of these low-quality cigarettes are owned by foreign companies.
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.
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.
Bangladesh Bidi Sramik Federation President Amin Uddin BSc, Vice President Nazim Uddin, Anawor Hossain, Joint Secretary Abdul Gafur, Abul Hasnat Lavlu, Organising Secretary Shamim Islam were also present there, among others.
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