Rangpur bidi workers form human chain to meet 5-point demands

Rangpur divisional Bidi Workers’ Union formed an hour long human chain in front of the Rangpur Chamber of Commerce & Industries building on Wednesday morning demanding to meet their five charters of points.

The human chain began at 11 am and ended at 12 am.

The demands include - reduction of tariff from Tk 18 to Tk 16 on bidis in the forthcoming 2023-24 budget, check all revenue evasion identifying fake bidi factories running without licenses, eliminating the differences of the advance taxation on bidi and cigarettes, increasing the price of low quality cigarettes from Tk 40 to Tk 50 and bringing the aggression of British American Tobacco under control.

Leaders and activists of the union, later handed over a memorandum to the president of Rangpur Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Speakers said, bidi is the oldest traditional trade of the region. Thousands of workers including the helpless, disadvantaged, extremely poor, physically handicapped and widows make a living by working in the sector. But the country’s ancient labor-intensive industry is being destroyed by the conspiracy of foreign multinational cigarette companies.

The speakers urged the authorities concerned to take necessary steps to halt unlawful bidi manufacturers and check tax evasion to improve the revenue income of the government.