RANGPUR, Nov 02: The government is being deprived of millions of Taka revenue a year from the bidi factories in different areas under Rangpur division as a good number of factory owners have been using fake or used band roll labels on bidi packets for long.
According to the sources of District Bidi Factory Owners Association, there are 20 to 25 big bidi factories in region which are paying regular revenue.
The rest of the factory owners are selling bidi through illegal means by printing fake band roll or using used ones, they said.
Sources said once more than 0.3 million workers used to work in 20 to 25 bidi factories of Hragachh at Kawnia upazila in Rangpur.
The government is rising taxes on the products of this industry every year to discourage the production of tobacco products. In addition to the production costs, VAT-tax has increased in tobacco products.
Hundreds of small bidi factories have been set up at various places in Rangpur Division, including Haragachh of Kawnia in recent years. Most of them are running their business illegally, depriving the government huge amount of revenue each year, sources added.
The dishonest bidi factory owners are selling their product at much lower rate than usual. As a result other bidi factory owners who run their business legally are incurring massive loss, sources alleged.
While visiting different bidi factories as well as some markets, this correspondent found fake and used band roll levels on many bidi packets including Rashed Bidi, Ashiq Bidi, Menaj Bidi, Tareq Bidi, Halim bidi, Abul Bidi and Mamun Bidi.
Bidi workers, requesting anonymity, complained that the owners of many factories especially small ones are producing low quality bidi violating the rules.
No rules are being followed for the protection of workers' health. As a result, the workers are suffering from various fatal diseases.
Sources alleged that most of the bidi factory owners have been running their illegal business during last several years as law enforcing agencies very seldom conducted drive in those factories.
It is learnt that recently, law enforcing agencies and custom authorities conducted drive frequently in different bidi factories and seized huge amount of fake band roll from some factories including Menaj and Padma Bidi. They also arrested some people in this connection.
Locals alleged that a syndicate of dishonest bidi factory owners in collusion with some unscrupulous customs officials are continuing their illegal business and thus depriving the government of huge amount of revenue every year.
They urged the government to take necessary steps in this regard.
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