Fruit traders formed a human chain in Chattogram demanding the withdrawal of increased VAT and additional duty on fresh fruit imports. They threatened to stop releasing imported fruit at all ports in the country if the increased VAT is not withdrawn.

The human chain was held at 10:30am on Thursday (30 January) in front of the fruit market next to the Railway Men's Club in the city, as part of a programme announced by the central committee of the Bangladesh Fresh Fruits Importers Association.

Speakers said that if the increased VAT and additional duty on fresh fruit imports were not withdrawn, they would stage a sit-in in front of the NBR building on 2 February. They also threatened to stop releasing imported fresh fruit simultaneously through all sea, river and land ports in the country, including Chattogram port, from 4 February.

The human chain was presided over by Haji Muhammad Ali Hossain, president of the Chattogram Fruit Traders' Association. Muhammad Touhidul Alam, organising secretary of the Bangladesh Fresh Fruits Importers Association and general secretary of the Chattogram Fruit Traders' Association, spoke. Executive committee member of the Bangladesh Fresh Fruits Importers Association Muhammad Farhad Uddin, Haji Muhammad Alamgir, importers Abul Kalam Azad, Nazmul Hasan Mahmud Shimul, Abu Bakkar and Junaidul Haque, and fruit trader Hossain also spoke.

Those taking part included Chattogram Fruit Traders' Association senior vice-president Ali Abbas Khan, joint general secretary Rashed Kamal Munna, religious and social welfare secretary Abu Bakkar, office and library secretary Ayaz Mia, publicity secretary Junaidul Haque, publications secretary Abdul Latif, members Abdur Rahim and Omar Faruk, former association president Haji Malek Chowdhury, former general secretary Manjurul Haque Chowdhury, Haji Alamgir, former finance secretary Muhammad Hanif, Haji Shahidullah and former religious affairs secretary Haji Zakir Hossain, among others.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.