Students from several private universities staged a human chain protest in front of the Bangladesh National Museum in Shahbagh on Wednesday, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the 15% income tax imposed on private universities.
Organised by the Private University Student Network (PUSN), the demonstration was held in response to what students described as a punitive policy by the interim government that equates education with a taxable commodity. They cited that the newly imposed taxes will eventually come out their education fees as the universities will subsequently raise the amount from the students themselves.
“Imposing a tax on education is comparable to exploiting it. Education is not a commodity; it is our right,” said Nabin Abtahi, president of the Private University Students’ Front, while placing a four-point demand on behalf of protesters.
The students demand:
- Immediate cancellation of the 15% tax on private universities.
- Investigation into profit generation by non-profit universities and a reduction in tuition fees.
- Introduction of a uniform policy for determining tuition fees through a committee involving academics, students, and experts.
- Stronger oversight by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to ensure academic quality in private institutions.
Mohammad Ibrahim, leader of the Bangladesh Student Rights Council’s private university wing, criticised the tax policy, calling it “morally inconsistent with the spirit of the July Revolution.” He alleged budgetary discrimination, pointing to higher subsidies allocated to public universities while private institutions remain neglected.
Redwan Ahmed of the Revolutionary Student-Youth Movement added, “The interim government is taxing students to pay back debts to imperialist nations. We will not allow students’ money to fund foreign interests, especially the United States.”
Other activists from the student network, including Tarmin Tisha, Kashfirul Kabir, Abdullah Al Nishat, and Said Abdullah Jabir, also took part in the protest.
The students warned of continued demonstrations if their demands are not met.