Economic Reporter :
Speakers at a round table programme on “Bidi workers’ struggling life: revenue policy and national budget” said alternative employment should be ensured for bidi workers through 5-year plan.
Prof Dr Mesba Kamal of History Department of Dhaka University and Chairperson of Research and Development Collective (RDC) presided over the programme at CIRDAP auditorium in the city on Saturday while Minister for Liberation War Affairs AKM Mozammel Haque, MP was present as chief guest.
“There should not be different tax rates on Bidi and cigarettes in the country. Taxation rate higher than cigarette on Bidi is seemed to oppressing the poor,” AKM Mozammel Haque said,
“Finance minister should rethink the discriminate tax rate on tobacco. Alternative employment should also be arranged for Bidi workers before closing the industry,” he opined.
Jannat A Ferdousy, General Secretary of RDC presented the keynote paper.
Mesba Kamal said, “Smoking is harmful for health but there should have no discriminate tax ceiling on tobacco. The country has the responsibility to ensure alternative employment for Bidi workers.”
“The government must have a plan for Bidi (tobacco) industry worker to convert them to other professions. In this connection, the government may take 5-year plan for their alternative employment by allocating special allocation in the budget,” he added.
MK Bangali, General Secretary of Bangladesh Bidi Workers Federation, Abdur Rahman, Joint secretary, Pranab Debnath, president of Karigori Bidi Worker Union, Sheikh Shahidul Islam, press secretary attended the program.
Speakers at a round table programme on “Bidi workers’ struggling life: revenue policy and national budget” said alternative employment should be ensured for bidi workers through 5-year plan.
Prof Dr Mesba Kamal of History Department of Dhaka University and Chairperson of Research and Development Collective (RDC) presided over the programme at CIRDAP auditorium in the city on Saturday while Minister for Liberation War Affairs AKM Mozammel Haque, MP was present as chief guest.
“There should not be different tax rates on Bidi and cigarettes in the country. Taxation rate higher than cigarette on Bidi is seemed to oppressing the poor,” AKM Mozammel Haque said,
“Finance minister should rethink the discriminate tax rate on tobacco. Alternative employment should also be arranged for Bidi workers before closing the industry,” he opined.
Jannat A Ferdousy, General Secretary of RDC presented the keynote paper.
Mesba Kamal said, “Smoking is harmful for health but there should have no discriminate tax ceiling on tobacco. The country has the responsibility to ensure alternative employment for Bidi workers.”
“The government must have a plan for Bidi (tobacco) industry worker to convert them to other professions. In this connection, the government may take 5-year plan for their alternative employment by allocating special allocation in the budget,” he added.
MK Bangali, General Secretary of Bangladesh Bidi Workers Federation, Abdur Rahman, Joint secretary, Pranab Debnath, president of Karigori Bidi Worker Union, Sheikh Shahidul Islam, press secretary attended the program.
