UNB, Dhaka :BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy on Friday said the imposition of VAT on private university students is an outcome of the government’s discriminatory policy.”The private university students who used to remain busy on facebook and internet have now been forced to take to streets as the government imposed VAT on their education,” he said.The BNP leader further said, “Everyone has the right to education. The state should ensure everybody’s educational rights. But, why does the discrepancy here?” Gayeshwar came up with the remarks while speaking at a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club arranged by Swadhinata Forum marking the 7th anniversary of BNP senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman’s release from jail.Private university students’ have been on a movement since Wednesday protesting against the imposition of VAT on their tuition fees.Amid the students’ protest, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) on Thursday said it is the private university authorities, not the students, will pay the VAT. Earlier on July 4, the NBR issued a notification imposing 7.5 percent VAT (Valued added tax) on the tuition fees of the private universities and medical colleges.Gayeshwar said students are being forced to study in the private universities spending huge money as the sate could not accommodate them in the public universities.He alleged that the Finance Minister imposed the VAT on the private universities to manage the deficit in the big-size national budget for 2015-2016 fiscal year. Pointing at the Prime Minister, the BNP policymaker said, “She often says education is the backbone of a nation. Are you encouraging the education to move forward or hindering it by imposing VAT?”He called upon the government to withdraw the VAT to ensure the smooth education of the private university students. Gayeshwar said Tarique Rahman was arrested and sent abroad after 1/11 changeover as part of a deep-rooted plot to destroy the nationalist force. He called upon the all to remain alert that the conspiracy initiated during the last army-backed caretaker administration is still on to annihilate the political leadership.
