Private university students protest against VAT

Private university students protest against VAT
Nobel Laureate Professor Mohammad Yunus said, “ The government does not need to do much for the people, let it just remove the obstacles. People themselves will run with much speed.” Really so. Whenever we want to go ahead, we just face huge state barriers in the form of bureaucratic tangle, police obstruction, checking, collecting a series of documents and finally unnecessary harassment. You face problem on the road but no help from the police until you pay. You have become sick, no treatment in the government hospital. Yes, you can receive treatment according to the degree of your financial ability meaning the poor and middle class don’t have treatment. If you want to educate your children, you must spend a lot. When you fail to do it, no education is available for your children. The number of government schools and colleges proves awfully small comparing to the increasing number of population. In the field of communication private sector has brought about revolution. When it was under government control, people had to wait for a telephone connection year after year and spend mad amount of money. After being connected, it used to become the perennial flow of income of the dishonest line men and others of telephone department. When situation made the government bound to make the barrier a little bit loose, the private sector came in and brought revolution. What the government did, it just imposed VAT and so called tax which increased a mobile SIM from one hundred taka to twelve hundred during the BNP regime. This is what our government can do for us.
The National Board of Revenue in June through letters to private universities imposed the 4.5 percent value added tax on admission fees, tuition fees and other charges. The private university authorities urged the finance minister to withdraw the VAT but to no avail. They expressed fears of student unrest. But the government did not pay heed to it. Following this incident a few hundred agitated students of several private universities blocked Gulshan-Mohakhali Road for several hours on July 26 afternoon, demanding withdrawal of VAT on tuition fees. The students of North South University, East West University, American International University of Bangladesh, BRAC University, Dhaka International University and some other private universities took to the streets around 1:00pm demanding withdrawal of 4.5 VAT slapped on their tuition and other fees. They said they formed human chain around noon on both sides of the Airport Road between Mohakahli and Kakoli as per their earlier announced program. They think this VAT is quite ‘ illogical and discriminatory’ putting forward the argument that the government gives subsidy to the state run/public universities whereas private university students already pay an enhanced amount of fees which is not affordable for many guardians. The small number of seats in public universities, session jam, political unrest and clash, teachers’ non-accountability, poor quality education can be attributed to the rising of private universities. Some of the private universities are doing very good. The influx of higher middle class and higher class students who used to go to our neigbouring country and other countries to receive higher education now find their place in our own private universities helping our economy because they don’t spend their educational expense outside the country. When most of the students of private universities belong to middle class they cannot really afford to pay more. It does not necessarily mean that they have the ability to pay more as they already pay an enhanced amount of fees. Actually, situation has compelled them to pay the rich fees in spite of their parent’s meager income. What the government can do for private university is to pressurize to enhance the quality of education and for financial matter; it can impose a little bit tax on the university, not on the students at all.
The government meets huge loss every year in the state run Bangladesh Biman, Bangladesh Railway, BIWATA, BJMC, BTMC and many other state owned enterprises. It is the inability of the government to reduce the loss, let alone make these enterprises profitable. The government’s inability to reduce financial loss cannot be imposed on the students. Huge wastage of state money is a regular phenomenon. Government just rear and nurture the dishonest and corrupt officials of these above mentioned organizations with the taxes collected from the honest income groups. It’s a serious discrimination in the society. Poor nation’s education deserves state facilities. Government must be efficient in reducing and minimizing state wastage of money and corruption without imposing extra financial burden on the students.
VAT in the private universities is foreign to the system in SAARC countries’ education. So, why should we ?. Our Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid is a very reasonable person and he used to do ideal policies in his student life. We expect very reasonable step from him. He of course assured saying “Even though it is a decision of the finance ministry and the matter lies with the finance ministry and the National Board of Revenue. I, on behalf of the students, would talk to the finance minster and the board chairman to solve the issue. “
Mohammad Rafqul Alam a student of AIUB said, they blocked the road after forming the human chain in the hope that they would get assurance from the government about their demand. The government must instantly address the situation as students easily take to the streets to draw the attention of all. When they do so, serious traffic congestion creates over the existing traffic problems. Students become agitated and they apply their anger to the stranded vehicles. These things are not unknown to the authorities concerned and the government. Before taking to the street students should have been heard. They have very genuine causes. “Education is not a commodity and the government cannot impose any VAT on it. How could the government impose VAT on private universities when it is giving subsidy to public university?” asked the students. Of course, it does not have any answer. Maruf Hossain, a student of Dhaka International University said, “ The extra cost is a huge burden on the students belonging to middleclass and lower middleclass families who also have to deal with the hefty tuition fees for the universities.” The universities are also increasing their fees quite frequently. Prof. Alimullah Mian, secretary general of the Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh told that the VAT would definitely be a burden on the students and their parents who are spending their hard-earned money for their children’s education.
Vehicles movement on the Airport Road came to a halt as the agitated student took positions on the road. They damaged some vehicles by hurling bricks. The blockade started at 2:30 pm on Bannai-Mohakhali Road. The police said the students damaged 25-30vehicles on the road. They later engaged in chase and counter chase with the police. Some students got severe beating which is another common game with the police. It must be stopped as well. One student is beaten by several police personnel. Why such kind of brutality? It means opportunity has come, so let us use it. Are the student’s criminals that several police will beat one student? The agitation led to huge traffic gridlock, causing untold suffering to thousands of passengers. I myself had to walk from Banani to BRAC Head Office leaving the office car while coming from Uttara after waiting in the car for more than one hour. I noticed the untold miseries of thousands of passengers including many children and women. What happened to those who are physically disabled? After waiting for three or four hours in the scorching heat in the car, passengers started walking but what about the patients and physically disabled people? We never think of these phenomena. We just think let the agitator do whatever they like. We never try to address the ways and means so that no group can come to the street, maybe it is garment workers, students, political supporters. We just let loose and take less care. When some extreme things happen, all concerned try to redress it in many ways when time is too late. Our state university campuses have been vitiated severely, no fruitful action is taken there. Private universities have been so far calm and cool except some minor incidents. Here again, the decision of the government has made it unrest. Let us, try our level best to keep these campuses free from all sorts of unrest which has severely engulfed our public universities. Public universities have poisoned severely from student to teacher, from peon to officials. Teachers feel proud to identify themselves as members of ‘white panel, blue panel etc. without identifying themselves as conductors of research and education.


Md. Masum Billah
Programme Manager: BRAC Education Program, PACE
Cell: 01714-091431, 9355253(home)
Email: mmbillah2000@yahoo.com, mmbillah@dhaka.net