Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Sunday demanded the withdrawal of the increased value-added taxes (VAT) and supplementary duties on about 100 products.
In a statement, Jamaat Secretary General Prof Mia Golam Parwar, a former MP, expressed his grave concern over the incumbent government’s recent decision to enhance the VAT and fresh duties on products, saying: “Prices of essentials are continuously increasing.”
The Jamaat leader said: “The government has not been able to take effective initiatives to arrest the price spiral of necessary commodities to lessen the burden on commoners.”
Highlighting that people are struggling to meet their household expenses in the present situation, Parwar said: “The VAT hike and imposition of fresh duties on more than 100 products has created an uncomfortable situation for the people of the country.”
“Due to the imposition of duty, people’s daily living expenses would increase by one point,” he added.
“Besides, before increasing taxes, the government should have taken into consideration the negative impact on common people’s living conditions. But it seems that the government has not paid attention to the matter at all,” the Jamaat secretary general further said.
Parwar called for the immediate withdrawal of VAT and supplementary duties imposed on hundreds of products so that additional pressure is not created on the lives of common people.
