Leaders of the Communist Party of Bangladesh and the Socialist Party of Bangladesh on Friday condemned the decision to impose a new value-added tax on more than 100 products and services amid high inflation.
They also protested at the decision to stop the selling of essential commodities at cheaper prices by the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh to the public through truck sales and family cards.
The left-wing parties issued separate statements, condemning the interim government鈥檚 decision saying that it would lead to increase in the commodity prices in the market.
Earlier on Thursday, the interim government issued two ordinances increasing VAT and supplementary duties on 100 products and services amid double-digit inflation.
CPB president Mohammad Shah Alam and general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince in a joint statement said that stopping truck sales and cancelling 43 lakh TCB cards would deepen the suffering of the low-income people.
鈥楾he government is cancelling family cards and stopping TCB truck sales instead of implementing the demands for removing the middlemen and syndicates, introducing a universal rations system and opening fair-price shops,鈥� the statement read.
Noting that the decisions will make people鈥檚 lives miserable, CPB leaders said that the decision would severely impact not only the marginalised low-income families, but will also affect the low- to middle- income families with regular earnings.
The also said that high inflation and pressure from the International Monetary Fund would trigger a crisis in the country鈥檚 economy.
Criticising the decisions as that of a dictatorial government鈥檚 policy to cut people鈥檚 pockets, they demanded immediate cancellation of the measures.
Instead of imposing taxes and stopping selling of essentials at subsidised prices, the CPB leaders called on the government to recover the money that was laundered and defaulted in bank loans, and impose necessary special taxes on the rich.
In another statement, Socialist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Bazlur Rashid Firoz in a statement urged the interim government to refrain from stopping TCB sale and increasing the VAT, saying that the measures would increase people鈥檚 suffering.
鈥楾he interim government, like the previous fascist regime, is increasing VAT and customs duties amid the current inflation, further endangering the lives of low-income people,鈥� said the statement.
鈥楾hrough this reckless decision, the anti-people character of the interim government becomes clear,鈥� it added.
It also noted that the decision of the interim government following the advice of the IMF would trigger a deep crisis in the life of the rural low-income and lower-middle-income people.