52 Members of Parliament (MP) on Monday urged the NBR to increase Tobacco Tax in Budget and recommended few proposals regarding this issue.
Bangladesh Parliamentary Forum for Health and Wellbeing’ made the demand at a meeting held with NBR chairman Mr. Abu Hena Md. Rahmatul Munim at the National Revenue Building Office.
Chairman of BPFHW Prof. Dr. Md. Habibe Millat MP handed over a copy of a letter signed by 52 MPs recommending increasing tobacco tax to the NBR chairman. Dr. Nizam Uddin Ahmed, while Executive Director, Shastho Shurokkha Foundation and Mr. Rafiqul Islam, Director of Shastho Shurokkha Foundation also present there.
A copy of the letter was also sent to Wahida Rahman Chowdhury, Commissioner Large Taxpayer Unit Value Added Tax; Mr. Md. Masud Sadiq, VAT Policy National Board of Revenue.
Prof. Dr. Md. Habibe Millat MP said, ‘Cigarettes and other tobacco products are extremely harmful to the youth of the country. It is important to make tobacco free Bangladesh to save the young society from addiction to drugs.’
NBR chairman Mr. Abu Hena Md. Rahmatul Munim expressed his solidarity with MPs’ recommendation. He said, ‘Moral values need to be created in the youth. They have to come forward to make Bangladesh tobacco free. Then we will succeed in implementing the declaration of the Prime Minister.’