Students of different English medium schools and their guardians formed a human chain on SatMasjid Road in the city’s Dhanmondi area on Thursday, demanding withdrawal of the current 7.5 percent Valued Added Tax (VAT) on their tuition fees.
Around 150 students, their guardians and officials of Siddques International School, European International School, Daffodil International School, Maple Leaf School, Academia School and Universal Tutorial School formed the human chain with placards around 11.30am which continued for an hour. They also chanted a slogan: ‘No VAT, No VAT’. Earlier, the government withdrew 7.5 percent VAT on the tuition fees of the private university students on September 14 amid a strong movement by private university students.
Earlier, Finance Minister AMA Muhith, in his budget speech for fiscal 2015-16, proposed 10 percent VAT on private education, which encompasses English medium schools and private engineering and medical colleges. The budget was passed imposing 7.5 percent VAT instead of 10 percent.
