Business Desk :
Greater Rangpur District Bidi Sramik Union has formed a human chain on Tuesday demanding to press home a four-point charter of demand including withdrawal of 10 percent income tax on bidi in the budget.
Thousands of bidi workers gathered in front of the Rangpur Deputy Commissionar’s office and formed a human chain there at around 11:00am.
Their four-point demands are- increasing the price of low quality cigarettes, withdrawal of 10 percent income tax on bidis, enactment of protection law for the workers engaged in the bidi industry and taking steps not to issue license on the bidi factory.
After the human chain, the leaders of the bidi workers handed a memorandum to the Prime Minister through the Deputy Commissionar of Rangpur.
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.
