Staff Reporter : Bangladesh Bidi Sramik Federation has held a Press Conference to respond to the proposed budget for the proposed 2025-26 fiscal year. The Press Conference on Tuesday at 11.30 am was held at Zahur Hossain Chowdhury Hall of the National Press Club. At the Meeting, the labor leaders expressed their congratulations, thanks and gratitude to the Chief Adviser for not increasing the tariff on bidis in the proposed budget.
Bidi Workers placed a four-point charter of demands. Their demands are withdrawal of advance income tax on bidi, stopping low quality cigarettes of foreign multinational companies, increasing the wages of bidi workers and stopping production and sale of fake bidis.
Harik Hossain, Secretary of Bangladesh Bidi Sramik Federation read a written statement at the press conference. In a written statement, he said that the main competitor of bidi is low quality cigarettes. Currently, 80 percent to 85 percent of the cigarette market is low. Most of these low quality cigarettes are owned by foreign companies.
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.
As a result, the workers are living a dehumanized life. Besides, advance income tax on cigarettes is 5 percent and advance income tax on bidis is 10 percent. We want to repeal this discriminatory advance income tax.
Bangladesh Bidi Sramik Federation President Amin Uddin BSc, Vice President Nazim Uddin, Anawor Hossain, Jonit Secretary Abdul Gafur, Abul Hasnat Lavlu, Organising Secretary Shamim Islam were also present there, among others.