Employers recruiting 10 per cent or over 25 third gender people or persons with disability will enjoy 75 per cent of salaries paid to these people or 5 per cent of the tax payable, whichever is less, as a tax rebate.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said this in his proposed budget speech for the fiscal year 2022-23 in parliament on Thursday.
He said an employer, under the present provisions, was allowed a 5 per cent rebate on payable tax if at least 10 per cent of the total workforce was recruited from the physically challenged population.
Also, a tax rebate to the tune of 75 per cent of the total salaries paid to the workers from the third gender community or 5 per cent of the tax payable, whichever was less, was allowed to an employer employing 10 per cent or more than 100 persons of the total workforce from the third gender community, he said.
“I propose amending both the existing provisions,” he said.
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Executive Director at Bandhu Social Welfare Society (Bandhu) Saleh Ahmed described this as a laudable initiative for third gender people.
“However, the government has to address the worsening situation of these people. For example, they are bullied, and there should be steps to reduce that,” he told The Business Post.
He further said employers would have to take steps to ensure handsome wages and a good work environment so that these people could work in the private sector.
The finance minister in his budget speech said the physically challenged people and those of the third gender community constituted a large part of the marginal and underprivileged section of society.
Compared to others, these people were lagging behind in socio-economic standards and were also left outside the mainstream society, he said.
According to a preliminary survey conducted by the Department of Social Services, the number of hijra or third gender people in Bangladesh is around 12,000.
While Article 28 of the Bangladesh constitution says there can be no discrimination against any citizen on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth, it was not until 2013 that the government officially recognised the transgender community as third gender people.
Estimates indicate that 16 million people are living with disability and they are one of the most vulnerable groups as they receive little or no assistance, according to the Centre for Disability in Development.
