bdnews24.com :The High Court has issued a rule asking why the decision to impose a 7.5 percent VAT (Value added tax) on the tuition fees of private universities, and medical and engineering colleges should not be declared illegal.The bench of Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice JN Deb Choudhury issued the rule on Sunday after hearing a plea filed by a teacher and two students of Daffodil University.The secretaries of finance and education, chairmen of the University Grants Commission and the National Board of Revenue (NBR) have been asked toexplain within three weeks. On July 4, the NBR issued an order imposing VAT on tuition fees for higher education in private institutions. Students have been protesting against the decision since then.Finance Minister AMA Muhith had proposed a 10 percent VAT, but later reduced it to 7.5 percent on the prime minister’s request during budget discussion. Khandakar Didar Us Salam, who teaches law at the Daffodil University, and two students filed a petition at the High Court on Tuesday. “It’s discriminatory. The state’s responsibility is to ensure education for all. There can’t be separate rules for public and private universities,” said Salam after Sunday’s hearing.
