Private varsity students in city protest VAT on tuition fees

Students of several private universities are demonstrating in different parts of Dhaka on Thursday protesting the 7.5 per cent VAT on their tuition fees. The demonstrations left traffic severely affected in Dhanmondi, Mohakhali, Gulshan and Rampura as protestors have blocked streets. East West University students have blocked the Pragati Sarani in Rampura in Dhaka, disrupting traffic on that road. Students had clashed with police at the same place on Wednesday while demonstrating. But any untoward incident is yet to be reported on Thursday. Meanwhile, students of BRAC University are demonstrating in Gulshan. Banani police OC Md Salauddin said that the students were demonstrating peacefully and that police were deployed in the area.
Traffic, however, has been stopped on the street between Mohakhali and Gulshan-1 intersection. North South University students have taken out a procession at the Basundhara Residential Area, where its campus is based. “We have taken out a procession, but not yet decided to go for a road blockade,” said NSU Business department student Habibul Hasan. In Dhanmondi, students of Stamford University have blocked part of the Road -27. Dhanmondi police OC Nure Azam said, that they have requested the students to leave the streets and not make the people suffer. The government in the 2015-2016 budget proposed 7.5 per cent VAT on tuition fees for higher education in all private universities, and medical and engineering colleges. On July 4, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) issued an order imposing the VAT. Students of these private institutions have been protesting against the decision since then, according to bdnews24.com.
- biplab