Chaired by Comrade Badrul Alam, President of Bangladesh Krishok Federation and Conducted by Zayed Iqbal Khan, General Secretary, Bangladesh Krishok Federation, AAM Fayez Hossain, General Secretary, Bangladesh Sramic Federation, Baharane Sultan Bahar, President, Jago Bangla Garments Workers Federation, Lovely Yasmin, President, Readymade Garments Workers Federation, Saleha Islam Shantona, President, Motherland Garment Workers Federation, Asha Moni, Publicity Secretary, Bangladesh Kishani Sabha, Rehena Begum, Vice-President, Bangladesh Krishok Federation, Shahabuddin Matubbar, President, Dhaka Metropolitan Bangladesh Krishok Federation, Ruhul Amin, Associate Organizing Secretary, Motherland Garment Workers Federation addressed the meeting , among others.

In the gathering, Comrade Badrul Alam stressed the importance of making the tax system of Bangladesh fair and said that the entire tax system should be adjusted to make the transition from the existing regressive tax system to the progressive tax system. By progressive taxation he means higher taxes on those with higher incomes and lower taxes on those with lower incomes. Further the scope of taxation could be expanded and strengthened by imposing wealth tax but it is not being done. He termed Value Added Tax (MUSAC) or VAT as unfair, saying that VAT is being imposed on everyone arbitrarily and layer by layer as a result of which the rich get special benefits and the poor suffer. He demanded an end to the unfair VAT system.

Speakers present at the rally said that the unfair tax system has brought great disaster to public life. People are becoming pauperized by paying taxes at every level of the buying and selling and supply chain. This unfair tax system is reproducing poverty and hunger in the society. They urged the government to exempt women and children from taxation. In his speech, Comrade Alam said it is important to establish justice for the socio-economic recovery of the people and to return to the normal situation in the post-corona situation.

The leaders said, “At this moment, the United Nations General Session is going on in New York, USA. We call upon to announce the Universal Tax Justice Charter at this session.”

The leadership also demanded that domestic and international companies’ tax evasion should be stopped and tax holidays abolished. They also said that not only big companies and the super rich stop with tax evasion, they also illegally smuggled the country’s wealth abroad and built luxurious cars, homes. etc. Malaysia’s MSH (My Second Home) and Canada’s Begum Para are prime examples. The leaders demanded an end to money laundering through so-called tax havens.

23 September 2022

Message sender
Zayed Iqbal Khan
General Secretary
Bangladesh Krishok Federation