Different political parties, including Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Nagarik Oikya, and a political platform on Saturday demanded that the interim government refrain from imposing increased value-added tax and supplementary duty on more than 100 commodities and services.
The interim government on January 9 issued two ordinances increasing the VAT and SD on more than 100 products and services, including mobile phone talk time, internet usages, cigarette, alcoholic drinks, biscuits, tissue paper, imported fruits, restaurant bills, sauces, spectacles, clothes, air tickets, liquefied petroleum gas, milk, show room, confectionary items and electric poles.
Leaders of the political parties and platform also demanded that the government resume the sales of essential commodities through Trading Corporation of Bangladesh trucks.
BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at a press conference held at the BNP central office at Naya Paltan in the capital Dhaka criticised the interim government for increasing VAT and SD on over 100 products and services.
He said that the government had failed to dismantle market syndicate and to curb the prices of essential commodities.
鈥楶eople are struggling with rising inflation and the recent VAT and SD increase on more than 100 products will only worsen their sufferings,鈥� he added.
He observed that the country鈥檚 business sector was hit hard due to the political transition for mass uprising and the businesspeople were yet to overcome the losses.
鈥業n such a situation, the decision to increase VAT is suicidal,鈥� said Rizvi, adding that the increase in prices before the budget would reduce the purchasing power of the common people.
Mahmudur Rahman Manna, president of the Nagarik Oikya, a partner of Ganatantra Mancha, on Saturday at a human chain in Dhaka said that imposing higher VAT and SD on more than 100 commodities and services as per the International Monetary Fund prescription would increase sufferings of the common people as the commodity prices would go up.
The Nagarik Oikya formed the human chain in front of the National Press Club protesting against the interim government鈥檚 decision to raise VAT and SD and the cancellation of TCB cards of 43 lakh families and the halting of TCB truck sales of essential commodities.
Manna said that the cancellation of TCB cards and stopping truck sales of commodities would also increase sufferings of the common people.
He called on the interim government to refrain from implementing the plans for the interests of the common people.
General secretary of the party Shahidullah Kaisar said that the interim government had failed to control price hikes of the essential commodities and control law and order in the country.
Jatiya Nagorik Committee, a platform of the youths who played a key role in the student-led mass uprising, called on the government to immediately resume the sales of essential commodities in TCB trucks and withdraw recent hikes in VAT and supplementary duties to alleviate the plight of the country鈥檚 low-income population, reported United News of Bangladesh.
Addressing a press conference at the organisation鈥檚 central office at Bangla Motor in Dhaka, JNC member secretary Akhtar Hossain criticised the suspension of the truck sales programme, which he described as a vital lifeline for marginalised communities.
The JNC leader also demanded the government revoke the ordinance increasing VAT and supplementary duties and resume the TCB truck sales programme without delay.