Bidi workers forced to join protest over tax hike

Participants of a human chain in Lalmonirhat town yesterday alleged that they were forced and paid to join a programme to protest a tax hike for the bidi industry in the proposed budget for 2014-15.

The Lalmonirhat unit of Bangladesh Bidi Sramik Federation organised the event, they said.
In the budget effective from July 1, the government slapped 1 percent surcharge on producers of bidi and tobacco-related products.

Officials and brokers of six bidi factories in the district brought the workers of the industry of hand-rolled cigarettes from different villages, they said.

“They brought us here by truck from our homes and paid us Tk 100 each to join the programme,” said Momena Begum, a bidi worker.

Zohra Khatun, Shamsunnahar, Jalil Miah and Ashraful Islam echoed Momena and said they were told that they would lose their jobs if they did not attend the event.

“We get wage according our work, but we never get additional wage,” Momena said.
Some so-called labour leaders, brokers and unscrupulous bidi factory officials always enjoy benefit in the name of labour movement, she said.
“We don't like any movement.”

Azizar Rahman, who identified himself as the convener of the bidi federation, said the government increased tax on bidi industries, which would ruin the sector.
Asked about the allegations of the workers, Mukul Hossain and Abdul Khaleque, staffers of a bidi factory, refused to speak to the media.

Source : The daily star

Published: 12:00 am Monday, June 09, 2014