Students protest VAT on tuition (video)

University of Asia Pacific students today formed a human chain at Dhaka’s Farmgate demanding withdrawal of 7.5 percent VAT on tuition fees of private universities.

More than 100 students from different departments of the university took part in the protest programme in front of the campus came around 4:00pm.

Earlier in the day, they boycotted their classes and examinations to press home their demand.

Students of different private universities and their parents have been protesting the imposition of 7.5 percent Value Added Tax (VAT).

University of Asia Pacific students boycotted their scheduled classes and exams to form a human chain in protest of 7.5 percent VAT imposed on private universities. Photo: Sumaiya Zaman

Finance Minister AMA Muhith had proposed 10 percent VAT on tuition fees of the private universities in his budget proposal for fiscal 2015-16 but it was finally revised down to 7.5 percent.

“We will pay no VAT on tuition fees,” said Safayet Hossain, a civil engineering student of the university, while taking part in the human chain.

Threatening to continue the protests until the demand is met, Farhana Sultana of law department said students from different private universities will gather at Shahbagh and hold a long march tomorrow.