Netrokona District Bidi Owners Somiti and Bidi Workers Union on Thursday laid siege to the Customs, Excise and VAT office to press home their five demands, including the prohibition of counterfeit bidis.

About thousands of bidi workers gathered in front of Netrokona Customs, Excise and VAT Office and staged demonstration there in the morning.

Their five points demands include reducing the duty on bidi and increasing the wages of workers, stopping all revenue evasion bidis including unverified (online) licences, advance income tax 3 percent like cigarettes on bidis, increasing the price of multinational companies cigarettes and stopping the aggression of British American Tobacco.

Addressing the human chain, the speakers said that millions of workers, including helpless, disadvantaged, ultra-poor, physically challenged and widows, make a living by working in the bidi-making industry. But the country’s ancient labour-intensive industry is being destroyed by the conspiracy of foreign multinational companies.

Multinational companies are smuggling taka thousands of crore abroad by burning the lungs of the country’s people.  Some corrupt local officials are also taking advantage of the foreign multinational companies and imposing excessive taxes on bidis, they said, adding that bidi-making industry owners are being forced to close their factories as they cannot bear the burden of the exorbitant tax.

They also urged the customs authorities to take necessary steps to halt unlawful bidi manufacturers and counterfeit bidis.

Among others, Bangladesh Bidi Workers Federation president M.K Bangali, general-secretary Abdur Rahman, joint-secretary Harik Hossain, Abdul Gofur, Anower Hossain spoke at the programme.