A proposal could be placed in the upcoming FY2026-27 budget to withdraw all import duties, regulatory duties, supplementary duties, and VAT on the import of laptops, desktop computers, servers, computer printers, and monitors.
An analysis of the draft budget speech and Finance Bill 2026 obtained by TIMES, together with the official budget summary, suggests that the move aims to boost employment in the technology sector. Additionally, it has been proposed to withdraw all taxes and VAT on Solid State Drive (SSD) imports, barring a 5 per cent import duty.
Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury is set to place the Tk9.38 lakh crore national budget for FY2026-27 on Thursday.
Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS) President Md Zahirul Islam said the current tax burden on laptop imports is approximately 22 to 23 per cent, while for desktops it is 17 to 18 per cent.
The tax burden for servers is around 18 per cent, for printers it is 35 per cent, and for monitors it is 33 per cent. SSDs currently face the highest tax burden at approximately 60 per cent.
Islam added that the 33 per cent tax on monitors significantly inflates the overall cost of a computer. “How can you operate a computer without a monitor? If duties are reduced on one component but remain high on another, the consumer does not benefit,” he said.
Based on these tax rates, if the proposed duty withdrawals are implemented, the retail price of laptops could decrease by an average of 10 to 15 per cent. Desktop computer prices may drop by 8 to 12 per cent, servers by 10 to 15 per cent, and printers by 15 to 20 per cent.
Monitor prices are expected to fall by more than 20 per cent. Furthermore, with the current 60 per cent tax burden on SSDs potentially reduced to just a 5 per cent import duty, their prices could fall by 25 to 35 per cent.
As an example, a laptop currently priced at Tk100,000 could see its price drop to between 85,000 and Tk90,000 due to these duty benefits. A monitor priced at Tk15,000 could decrease to between Tk12,000 and Tk13,000, while a Tk10,000 SSD might fall to between Tk7,000 and Tk8,000.
According to Islam, simply reducing duties is not enough; computers must be recognised as educational materials to make them more accessible to students. He questioned why computers are taxed when books enjoy zero-duty status, arguing that computers are now essential tools for education.
However, he also noted that reducing device prices alone will not increase employment in the technology sector; equal importance must be given to creating a skilled workforce. “Most of our people are not proficient in using computers,” he said.
“While the world is moving forward with artificial intelligence, many of our people do not even own a computer.”
