Shah Alam Nur :The students of private universities, medical and engineering colleges demonstrated against the imposition of 7.5 percent VAT on tuition fees on Wednesday blocked the road and vandalized some vehicles.The students alleged that private universities have been increasing tuition fees quite often, regardless of the quality of education.They said, the imposition of VAT is suicidal for higher education. It has curbed the basic right to education.At least five students received ‘Rubber bullet’ injury when police opened fire at a protest rally of a private university at Aftabnagar of the capital on Wednesday.Around 100 students of East West University staged a rally on the Rampura Bridge in protest against the imposition of VAT on tuition fees of the country’s private universities.The agitated students vandalized some vehicles during their protest. At one stage, police tried to disperse the angry students and locked into a clash with the police.Duty officer of Bhatara Police Station Sub-Inspector Shamim said that the students of the university blocked the road and vandalized some vehicles. He said “Police opened blank fire to bring the situation under control.” In the budget for the FY2015-16, the government imposed a 7.5 per cent VAT on private universities, medical and engineering colleges for the first time in the history of private education in the country.According to the University Grants Commission, about 4.5 lakh students are studying at 80 private universities and 64 private medical colleges across the country.A private university student now spends around Tk. 3 lakh to Tk. 8 lakh to complete their four-year graduation course. “It is very unfortunate that the government has imposed VAT on education, because parents have to bear the cost. The government is under obligation for ensuring education for all,” Dr M Shamsul Haque, Vice-Chancellor of Northern University Bangladesh said.He said, it is not a fact that all the students of the private universities come from rich families. Even those from middle and lower-middle income families study in these institutions these days. It will be especially bad for them when 7.5 per cent VAT is imposed.He said, if education becomes more expensive, then many students may choose to study abroad. Prof. Md Golam Samdani Fakir, Vice-Chancellor of the Green University of Bangladesh said that 7.5 per cent VAT is “unethical” because the Private University Act, 2010, stated that such institutions will be non-profitable organisations to cater to the needs of higher education. He said, “The government should rethink the matter seriously. It would be even more difficult for the students of the private medical and engineering colleges.”Prof. Md Abdul Mannan, Vice-Chancellor of the European University of Bangladesh, said, “I don’t support the imposition of taxes on education. The income level in our country has still not reached the level of that in developed countries.”Prof. Abdul Kadir Bhuiyan, former vice-chancellor of Khawja Yunus Ali University, said, “It is true that most of the private universities are not providing better education, rather doing business. But still students have interest should be considered. Earlier in 2010, the government imposed a 4.5 per cent VAT on private universities, but had to scrap the decision following massive protests by students.
