Gamblers also have their slice of the budget cake! Social commentators described as a 'gift for the gamblers' a measure that cut down import duty on playing cards.
In the proposed national budget for the financial year 2014-15, the government lowered taxes on a wide array of luxury products. And this single one came out as a matter of take in various circles.
The critics think it would give a bad message to the youngsters as they would think 'the state' itself was influencing gambling.
Finance Minister M A Muhith, in his budget speech delivered on June 5, proposed to reduce supplementary duty on playing card import (H.S. Code- 9504.40.00) to 30 per cent from 45 per cent.
The minister, on the contrary, has proposed to tax many items of mass use.
"Apart from drug addiction, gambling has emerged as a social disease now in the country. Games through playing cards are some of key instruments for gambling in Bangladesh as also over the world," educationist and Assistant Professor of the Dept of Bangla at Khulna University Imran Kamal said.
He said: "We have many products on the list which should get duty waiver on import. But why is it playing card?"
He went on: "It is true that playing cards are not used only for gambling-many ones play card game only for pleasure. But it is hugely used as gambling instrument."
The academic thinks it was a job done by few officials on request from their allied importers.
"If the finance minister again looks through it, he will surely shuffle it," he said.
Rakib Hasan, a cosmetics and baby toy seller at Nawabganjbazar in the city, said they sell playing cards namely Bonus, Don and USA.
Bonus, an American playing card, is sold at Tk120-125 a set. Don, imported from China, is sold at Tk30-35 a set and USA at Tk38-40, he informed.
"The cards are suitable for playing teen-patti (three cards), 29 or marriage, nine cards, call-bridge, poker, etc," he said.
Raqib says key customers of the cards are people who belong to any clubs or political organisations and have separate room for meeting or gossiping.
When he was told about duty cut on playing-card import, he said the importers will not reduce the price and the gamblers have no headache about the price of cards.
A group of gamblers use at least four sets of cards a night for playing games, he said, giving a glimpse of the game of those who have enough and to spare.
"I sell at least 40 sets of playing cards a day and the number increased many times during festive occasions," he said.
Working-class people and students also spend or lose a big sum of money in gambling, he said.
Abeer Ghosh, a cosmetics importer at Chawkbazar in the city's business heartland, said playing cards are mainly imported with cosmetic products.
Many of the importers import cards from China, Belgium, India, Thailand, the USA, and so on, he said.
"Demand for playing cards is increasing thanks to the rising club culture and gambling as its part in the country," he observed.
"We import playing cards whose price ranged from Tk25 to Tk5000 per set," he said, corroborating the budgetary measure on cards.
He observed that higher import duty deprived consumers of using lucrative brands. The decision of the government will benefit the playing-card lovers," he said.
Another importer at the same market said choice of brand was based on a person's social class.
"Members of big clubs would prefer international brands like Bicycle, Copag, Bee, Aristocrat, KEM, Aviator , Cartamundi etc, a small shop owner would play with 'Bonus' while a rickshaw-puller will play with Don," he said, citing the class distinctions in this game too.
"Different categories of Copag card-import cost is Tk2000-2250 (US $26-$29) per set which will be reduced to Tk1550- 1700 ($20-$22) per set with implementation of the new import duty," he said.
Import of a set of Bicycle-brand cards costs nearly $13-15 which will be reduced to $7-8 per set.
Talking to playing-card suppliers in Dhaka, Chittagong, Dinajpur and Jessore, the FE correspondent found nearly 0.06 million playing cards being sold per day in the country. Dhaka alone sees the demand for 0.04 million.
The market size of cards is not less than Tk1.0 billion annually, according to the suppliers.
Chairman of Subaltern Communication Research Centre and social researcher Delowar Jahan said the government should revaluate the decision.
"Those who play cards for gambling purpose can afford cards at any price," he says. "Cutting duty on such products will give bad message to society."
He noted that the government every year increases duty on alcohol and cigarettes and it doesn't indicate that people are giving up those.
"But it is done only so that people can get message 'the state' is discouraging those bad habits," he said.
"Cutting import duty on world-class cricket bat, or on farm equipment is appreciable but it is not acceptable to reduce duty on playing card or alcohol import," he said.
"It is not all about revenue the government will lose for the decision but most important thing is it will give bad message to the youngsters."
Gamblers get budget gift!
Yasir Wardad | Published: June 27, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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