The Bangladesh Bidi Sramik Federation has organized a human chain, sit-in stage in front at the house of Finance Minister AHM Mostafa Kamal in Lalmai, Cumilla on Thursday on 5-ponit demand to survive the bidi industry.
The bidi labour from the human chain at 11 am in front of finance minister’s house demanded reduction of tax, withdrawal 10 percent advance income tax, step to shutdown fake bidi factory, stop license held up process without the physical visit of the factory and legal frame to protect workers and owners of the bidi factories in the country.
President of Bidi Sramik Federation MK Bangali, vice president Nazim Uddin, general secretary Abdur Rahman, organizing secretary Abdul Gafur, among others, spoke in the function. Anower Hossain, executive member of the federation moderated the program.
Speakers at the program claimed a large portion of the country's marginal workers' livelihood depends on bidi factories. The livelihood of the helpless, impoverished, physically challenged, and widowed and so many marginal workers of the society depend on the bidi industry.
After independence, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared bidi industry duty free considering the common people and helpless workers of this country, they said. Labor-friendly Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her budget speech for the fiscal year 2009-2010 directed to reduce the duty on bidi and increase the duty on cigarettes.
The speakers further said that bidi industry is a domestic worker-friendly industry and a 100 percent indigenous technology-based industry. All the raw materials used in it are produced in the country.
This industry is being destroyed in a discriminatory manner by the conspiracy of foreign multinational companies, they said.
Later the Bidi Sramik Federation leaders handed over a memorandum to the finance minister through the Comilla (South) Upazila Chairman.
