Staff Reporter, Dhaka : Bangladesh Bidi Sramik Federation has held a discussion meeting to respond to the proposed budget for the proposed 2023-24 fiscal year. The discussion meeting on Sunday at 11am was held at Zahur Hossain Chowdhury Hall of the National Press Club. At the Meeting , the labor leaders expressed their congratulations, thanks and gratitude to the Prime Minister for not increasing the tariff on bidis in the proposed budget.

Bidi Workers placed a four-point charter of demands. Their demands are reduction of tariff from Tk 18 to Tk 16 on bidis in the 2023-24 budget, to repeal discriminatory advance income tax on cigarettes and bidi, increasing the wages of bidi workers and stopping low quality cigarettes of British American Tobacco.

Harik Hossain, Joint Secretary of Bangladesh Bidi Sramik Federation read a written statement at the discussion meeting. In a written statement, he said that the main competitor of bidi is low quality cigarettes. Currently, 77 percent of the cigarette market is low. Most of these low quality cigarettes are owned by foreign companies.

The government should take necessary measures for the interest of workers in the bidi industry, he insisted, adding, “Bidi workers are living miserable lives as factories are closing one after another.”

Bangladesh Bidi Sramik Federation General Secretary Abdur Rahman, Organising Secretary Abdul Gafur, Publicity Secretary Md Shamim Islam and Assistant Organising Secretary, Abul Hasnat Lavlu were also present there, among others.